Sarah Niblack

Paris-based American violist Sarah Niblack began studying the violin in her hometown of Seattle, Washington with Philadelphia String Quartet violinist Irwin I. Eisenberg, who fostered her love for sharing classical music.

Sarah obtained her viola degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music from the studio of Masao Kawasaki and Catherine Carroll, with gracious support from the Catherine Guthrie Memorial Competition, the Dorothy Anne Riddinger Scholarship and Erik Kahlson Scholarship.

Her performance, recording, and festival credits include Les Enfoirés 2013 (TFI / Paris), a recital with David Amram’s ensemble in Cincinnati, Harpist Susan Alan in Romances Sans Paroles at CalArts (CA, USA), recording with All Angels Gone with the COGE and jazz trombonist Marc Fields, and others. She  toured Toscany in 2006 with Kirstin Greenlaw, violin; Judith Glyde, cello; and Mark Ostoich, oboe. Sarah was invited to play at the Southrepps Classical Music Festival in 2015 to perform the cello quintet by Schubert with Ben Baker, Ricky Gore, Jonathan Bloxham and Arthur Boutellier (Arts Desk Review), and will return to the UK for a tour of the quintet by Schubert in October 2015, as well as the Brahms sextets with members of Philharmonia Orchestra.

After her conservatory training, she attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and UC College of Business collaborative program for her graduate work in Arts Administration and Business. She has worked in fundraising for A.R.T./New York in NYC, as the Director of Development for Theatre Aspen in Aspen, CO and previously as the Individual Services and Annual Fund Manager for the Cincinnati Art Museum in Cincinnati, OH. She has also served in fundraising, press and marketing capacities for Enjoy the Arts, Seattle-based grantmaking organization PONCHO, C venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, while producing multi-media and collaborative productions with concert:nova, Hunger Warrior Theatre and others.

Sarah now lives in Paris, freelancing in orchestras, playing chamber music and teaching. She plays with the Camerata Melun Val de Seine, l’Orchestre de la Cité Universitaire, l’Orchestre Promethée at the Theatre de Chatelet and Theatre de Champs Elysées, and as a substitute violist for Le Balcon and l’Orchestre de Picardie. In 2016 she won an audition to participate in the Academie of the Orchestra de Paris. She works closely with conductors Adrian McDonnell and Pierre-Michel Durand. A previous resident of Cincinnati, Aspen and NYC, she has played with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, One World Symphony, Springfield Symphony, Classical Revolution, and the String Orchestra of Brooklyn. In Paris she also directs Classical Revolution Paris, a renegade chamber group for professional musicians and young audiences to meet, mingle and make music accessible for all.