SARAH GRAF
Performing on modern and baroque cello and viola da gamba, Sarah Graf is an avid chamber musician, soloist, and teacher. Since moving to Colorado in 2007, Sarah has performed extensively in concert series across the region. Sarah specializes in baroque performance and has played in the Freiburg Baroque Academie and Oberlin Baroque Performance Institute. She has recently played in the Seicento Baroque Ensemble and with the Colorado Bach Ensemble. On modern cello, Sarah is a cellist in the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra and is principal cellist of the High Country Sinfonia and Aspen Choral Society.
Sarah received her undergraduate degree and Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester, studying with Alan Harris and Steven Doane. She attended music festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, National Orchestral Institute and Bowdoin Music Festival.
As Executive Director of the nonprofit Roaring Fork Music Society and Co-Music Director of the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra, Sarah is dedicated to sharing the experience of serious musical study and performance with the next generation of young musicians.
Sarah is a co-founder and Co-Director of the newly formed Colorado Plateau Chamber Music Society. During the last 15 years Sarah has performed solo and chamber music recitals throughout Colorado. These include performances on the Music in the West End concert series in Aspen, CO, the Durango Chamber Music Festival, the Barn Music Series created by Ben Feng Music Productions, The Happy Hour Chamber Concert series in Denver, the Basalt Library Concert Series, and bringing classical music to Steve's Guitars. Sarah also enjoys collaborations in other styles of music and has recently played with folk musician Natalie Spears on a series of performances of her album Hymn of Wild Things presented in part by the Birdsong Project.
During her time at Eastman School of Music, Ms. Graf was active in both contemporary and early music performance, working with both the Ossia New Music Ensemble and Collegium Musicum. Ms. Graf’s cello studies include work with such acclaimed teachers as Alan Harris, Steven Doane, and Troy Stuart, and baroque specialists Paul O'dette, Christel Thielmann, and Kristian Bezuidenhout. She has also played in masterclasses and workshops for Ronald Leonard, Irene Sharp and Bobby McFerrin. On baroque cello Sarah has played in masterclasses for Kristin von Der Goltz, Kenneth Slowik, Catharina Meints and Guido Larisch.
Ms. Graf has taught cello lessons for more than fifteen years in both her home town of Frederick, Maryland and in western Colorado. She teaches a studio of cello students and coaches the cellists of the Roaring Fork Youth Orchestra. Ms. Graf’s Suzuki teacher training includes Levels 1 and 2 with teacher Pamela Davenport at the Ithaca Suzuki Institute in Ithaca, NY, Level 3 with Ann Grabe at the Oregon Suzuki Institute in 2015, Level 4 with Beth Goldstein-McKee, Levels 5 and 6 with Shuyi Scott, Level 7 and revisiting book 1 with Avi Friedlander and Level 8 with Laura Shaw, and Level 9-10 with David Evenchick at the Suzuki Institute in Montreal, Canada.