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Sarah Hicks

Sarah Hicks is a Japanese-born American orchestral specializing in crossover genres that integrate with popular, , , and elements, creating accessible and innovative concert experiences for diverse audiences. Since 2009, she has held the position of Principal of Live at Orchestra Hall with the , overseeing a series featuring , movie scores, and collaborative performances with artists across genres. She was the to hold a titled conductor post in the 's history. Her work has earned critical acclaim, including an Emmy Award in 2022 for hosting the series This Is Minnesota Orchestra, along with two additional nominations in 2024. Born in , , and raised in , , Hicks began her musical training as a prizewinning and violist in her early teens. She earned a BA magna cum laude in from and an Artists' Diploma in conducting from the , where she later served as faculty from 1999 to 2005 and as staff conductor until 2012. Early in her career, Hicks joined the as Assistant Conductor from 2006 to 2009 and Principal Conductor of Pops and Presentations from 2009 to 2013, during which she conducted educational series like Inside the Classics and Sam & Sarah for ten seasons. Hicks has built a reputation for high-profile collaborations and genre-blending projects, including conducting Sting's Symphonicities tour in 2011, recording with violinist Hilary Hahn, producing the 2019 album Sound the Bells with rapper Dessa and the Minnesota Orchestra, and in 2025 leading orchestral accompaniment for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard's tour. As a specialist in live-to-film concerts, she led performances for films such as Renfield (2023) and Disney+ recordings of Coco and The Lion King 30th Anniversary, while also serving as an advisor for the Disney Music Group. Her guest conducting engagements span major ensembles, including the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, her debut with the New York Philharmonic during the 2024–25 season, and in 2025 the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's Heroes and Heroines and the Oregon Symphony's program featuring Angelo Badalamenti's music. Notable achievements include amassing over 200 million YouTube views for her arrangement of Ennio Morricone's "The Duelists" and pioneering initiatives like "Music and Healing" to promote wellness through orchestral music.

Early life and education

Early life

Sarah Hicks was born in , , to an father, an international banking lawyer, and a mother, a classical dancer and teacher. This dual cultural heritage shaped her early years, providing exposure to both Western and artistic traditions, particularly through her mother's career in dance, which introduced her to rhythmic and performative elements of music from a young age. The family relocated to , , where Hicks was raised, immersing her in a multicultural environment that further blended her influences. During her youth, she began formal musical training as a violist and , developing proficiency in both instruments and emerging as a prizewinning by her early teens. Hicks graduated from in in 1989, having honed her skills in a supportive educational setting that encouraged her budding musical talents. This pre-college period laid the foundation for her transition to at .

Education

Sarah Hicks graduated magna cum laude from with an A.B. in music, concentrating in , in 1993. During her time at Harvard, she received the Thomas Hoopes Prize for outstanding undergraduate research and the Doris Cohen Levy Prize for instrumental . These awards recognized her early compositional work and academic excellence in music studies. Following her undergraduate degree, Hicks pursued advanced training in conducting at the , where she earned an Artist's Degree. At , she was awarded the Presser Award, a prestigious honor supporting outstanding musical achievement. This specialized program built on her foundational skills as a violist and developed in her youth.

Career

Orchestral positions

Sarah Hicks has held several key orchestral positions that underscore her expertise in both classical and crossover programming. Since October 2009, she has served as Principal Conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra's Live at Orchestra Hall series, a role in which she oversees programming and conducts a diverse array of subscription concerts featuring film scores, pops, and multimedia presentations. In this capacity, Hicks leads multiple performances each season, including high-profile events such as live accompaniments to films like during the 2025-26 season, contributing to the orchestra's institutional efforts to broaden audience engagement through innovative formats. Her tenure in this position, initially as assistant conductor from 2006 to 2009 before succeeding , has been extended multiple times, most recently through the 2023-24 season with ongoing commitments into 2025-26. These positions at the have provided a stable foundation for Hicks's career, occasionally leading to guest conducting invitations with other ensembles.

Guest conducting and collaborations

Sarah Hicks has established herself as a sought-after guest conductor with major American orchestras, leveraging her experience from principal roles at the to deliver versatile performances. She has led the in programs including live-to-film scores and crossover concerts, such as the 2024 CSO at the Movies series featuring Oscar-winning film music. Her engagements with the have highlighted her expertise in blending orchestral and multimedia elements, contributing to innovative live experiences at venues like the . Hicks's guest appearances extend to the , where she has conducted classical repertoire and collaborative projects, drawing on her early assistant conductor role with the ensemble's chorus. With the , she participated in high-profile events, including a 2025 live-to-film performance of Star Wars: that showcased her expertise in cinematic repertoire. She has also guest-conducted the in varied concerts, emphasizing her ability to connect with diverse audiences through engaging interpretations. In 2025, Hicks collaborated with the at for a cross-genre event with , performing music from their album Phantom Island in a live orchestral setting that blended rock and symphonic elements. Her collaborations with prominent artists underscore her versatility across genres, from classical to . Hicks conducted Sting's Symphonicity tour in 2011, leading 31 European concerts that arranged the artist's hits for full orchestra, marking a significant crossover milestone. She has worked with violinist on concerto performances with ensembles like the , highlighting precise and expressive partnerships in the classical domain. With , Hicks collaborated on operatic and symphonic programs, including Russian repertoire that showcased her command of vocal-orchestral balance. These partnerships, along with engagements involving artists like and , demonstrate Hicks's international reach and commitment to innovative, genre-blending concerts that attract broad audiences.

Recordings

Sarah Hicks's recordings emphasize her innovative approach to conducting across genres, particularly in scores, contemporary works, and collaborations, often bridging classical with . A significant early recording in her discography is Triple Doubles (), where Hicks co-conducted the Vermont Symphony Orchestra alongside Troy Peters in performances of three double concertos composed specifically for violinist and cellist Sharon Robinson. The album features Richard Danielpour's Toward the Splendid City, David Ludwig's Odyssey, and Daron Hagen's Andante Cantabile con Variazioni, highlighting Hicks's skill in interpreting modern American compositions that integrate lyrical and rhythmic complexity. Released on Bridge Records, this project underscores her commitment to championing new music through intimate chamber-orchestral formats. Hicks has made notable contributions to recorded film music, including The Morricone Duel: The Most Dangerous Concert Ever (2018), a live album with the and guest artists such as soprano Tuva Semmingsen and harmonica player Hans Ulrik. The recording captures Ennio Morricone's scores from Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns—like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West—alongside other cinematic works by composers including and , arranged for full symphony with dramatic flair. This release exemplifies Hicks's genre-blending style by transforming film soundtracks into immersive orchestral experiences, garnering international broadcasts and acclaim for revitalizing Morricone's legacy. Further showcasing her expertise in cinematic repertoire, Hicks conducted the on Murder at the Symphony (2021), featuring 14 tracks of suspenseful film scores from composers like Morricone, , and , with vocalist Christine Nonbo Andersen. The album delves into noir and themes, such as selections from The Sicilian Clan and The Da Vinci Code, emphasizing Hicks's ability to evoke narrative tension through orchestral color and dynamics. In collaboration with Disney, Hicks has produced several live concert recordings tied to her conducting, including A Celebration of the Music from Coco (2019) and The Little Mermaid Live! (2019), both featuring orchestral arrangements of Disney scores performed with Broadway casts and available on . These projects, along with The Lion King 30th Anniversary – A Live-to-Film (2024), reflect her talent for fusing symphonic precision with theatrical energy, appealing to diverse audiences while preserving the emotional depth of the original compositions.

Teaching and other roles

Educational contributions

As Staff Conductor at the Curtis Institute of Music until 2012, Sarah Hicks contributed to the mentorship of emerging conductors through hands-on teaching and faculty guidance, drawing on her own artist's diploma in conducting from the institution. Hicks has advanced music education through her leadership of the Minnesota Orchestra's outreach initiatives, particularly as Principal Conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall since 2009, a series designed to introduce diverse audiences to orchestral music via popular genres like jazz, Broadway, and film scores. She conducted and co-hosted the Inside the Classics and Sam & Sarah narrated concert series for ten seasons, breaking down complex classical works for general listeners through demonstrations and discussions. Additionally, as host, writer, and producer of the Twin Cities PBS program This Is Minnesota Orchestra since 2020, Hicks has created globally streamed content exploring orchestral traditions, earning a 2022 regional Emmy Award. In her arrangements, Hicks has adapted contemporary and crossover works for orchestral settings, often tailored for educational contexts to illustrate blending and accessibility, such as in collaborations like the 2019 album with rapper and the . These adaptations support teaching by demonstrating how can integrate with symphonic forms, enhancing student and audience understanding of musical evolution. Hicks actively engages in and workshops, delivering presentations like "The Art of Conducting" to organizations and civic groups, where she explores collaborative leadership through orchestral metaphors. As a frequent lecturer and panelist, she conducts workshops on techniques and genre crossover, emphasizing inclusive programming to broaden musical participation. Her keynote "Orchestrating Excellence" further applies principles to in non-musical fields.

Media and consulting work

Since 2019, Sarah Hicks has served as a consultant for Concerts, acting as an advisor on numerous projects for and collaborating frequently on arrangements for film scores and events. In this role, she contributes to final edits of concert scores and conductor videos, enabling seamless synchronization in live-to-picture performances that blend orchestral music with projected films. Her work has supported high-profile productions, including live concert recordings of The Music of Coco and 30th Anniversary streamed on , as well as the broadcast of on . Hicks's expertise as an arranger extends to cross-genre projects that bridge with contemporary styles, reaching diverse audiences in the entertainment industry. Notable examples include her arrangements for a 2019 collaborative album with rap artist and the , as well as conducting the 2023 world premiere of ’s Want Symphonic at the . She also arranged and conducted The Morricone Duel, a music concert with the that was broadcast and released digitally, amassing over 200 million views. Additionally, Hicks participated in a 2021 live-play project with professional gamer for Gaming, adapting orchestral elements to interactive multimedia formats. In media appearances, Hicks has conducted immersive multimedia events such as the ' Infinity Saga Concert Experience at the Kennedy Center in 2025, featuring live orchestral accompaniment to highlights from 23 films. She earned her first major feature film credit as conductor for , released in April 2023. Since 2020, Hicks has been the primary host, writer, and producer of This is , a broadcast series on that streams globally; the program won a regional Emmy Award in 2022 and received two nominations in 2024 for her multifaceted contributions.

Personal life and honors

Personal life

Sarah Hicks is married to Paul LaFollette, a player whom she met while studying at the . As of 2020, the couple resided in , where they shared their home with their , Pinkerton. Hicks and LaFollette have occasionally relocated to align with professional opportunities in different cities, including a period in earlier in their marriage.

Awards and honors

Sarah Hicks received the Thomas Hoopes Prize from in 1993 for her undergraduate in music . That same year, she was awarded the Doris Cohen Levy Prize at Harvard for excellence in . During her studies at the , Hicks earned the Presser Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in music performance and scholarship. In 2006, Hicks became the first woman to hold a titled conductor position in the Minnesota Orchestra's history, joining as Assistant Conductor; she later served as Principal Conductor of Pops and Presentations from 2009 to 2013, a role that highlighted her innovative approach to blending classical and popular genres. Her contributions to crossover programming were further honored with an Emmy Award in 2022 for her roles as conductor, producer, writer, and host of the series This Is Minnesota Orchestra, which showcased diverse musical collaborations. Hicks received two additional Emmy nominations in 2024 for her work in this genre-blending format.

References

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