Sarah Hicks

conductor

Sarah Hicks’ versatile and vibrant musicianship has secured her place as an in-demand conductor across an array of genres, as well as an educator, Emmy-winning producer, writer, and speaker. Her career has seen collaborations with diverse artists, from Olga Kern and the late Dmitri Hvorostovsky to Rosanne Cash and Dirty Projectors; during the summer of 2011 she toured with Sting as conductor of his Symphonicity tour. Her cross-genre partnerships include a 2019 album with rap artist Dessa and the Minnesota Orchestra, with which she holds a titled position, and the 2023 premiere of Rufus Wainwright’s Want Symphonic at the BBC Proms.

A highly sought-after guest conductor, Hicks has worked extensively in the US and abroad. Notable ensembles include the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Toronto Symphony, Czech National Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, WDR Funkhausorchester Köln, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and Tokyo Philharmonic, among many others. Her opera appearances include the East Slovak State Opera Theater and the Curtis Opera Theater, as well as operas in concert with the Minnesota Orchestra and the RTÉ Orchestra.

Hicks is a specialist in film music and the film-in-concert genre whose live concert recordings can be seen on Disney+, and she acts as advisor for Disney Music Group and is a frequent collaborator at Disney Concerts. Her first major feature-film credit, Renfield, was released in 2023, and her live album with the Danish National Symphony, The Morricone Duel, has garnered over 200 million views on YouTube.

Hicks is a frequent lecturer and panelist and was on faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music from 2000 to 2005 and Staff Conductor until 2012. Her interest in mental wellness and mindfulness has led to numerous projects, including Music and Healing with the Minnesota Orchestra. Available digitally, it includes a concert, commissioned works, and conversations with neuroscientists and wellness experts. She is developing new concert experiences that combine music and mindfulness and is pursuing studies in MBSR and teacher training in Vipassana meditation.

Sarah Hicks was born in Tokyo and grew up in Honolulu. Trained on piano and viola, she received degrees from Harvard University and the Curtis Institute of Music. In her spare time, Hicks enjoys running, hiking, her papillon, and cooking (and eating) with her husband. She is writing her first book, a collection of essays.