Sarah Willis (hornist)

Sarah Willis is a British French horn player. She is a member of the Berlin Philharmonic, and is a presenter of TV and online programs about classical music.

Sarah Willis
Background information
Born1969 (age 50–51)
Maryland, US
Occupation(s)Musician, TV presenter
InstrumentsFrench horn
Associated actsBerlin Philharmonic
Websitesarah-willis.com

Early life

Sarah Willis was born in Maryland, United States, and grew up in Tokyo, Boston, Moscow, and London.[1] She started playing the French horn at age 14, and attended the Royal College of Music Junior Department. She later joined the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she studied with Anthony Halstead and Jeff Bryant. Moving to Berlin, she studied with Fergus McWilliam.

Willis is the sister of Alastair Willis, a Grammy-nominated conductor and music director of the South Bend Symphony Orchestra.[2]

Career

In 1991, Sarah Willis took the position as second horn with the Berlin State Opera under Daniel Barenboim. She joined the Berlin Philharmonic in 2001, under Simon Rattle, becoming the first female brass player.[3] She has performed with a number of orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. She also regularly performs with chamber music ensembles.

Willis is a presenter on the German TV station Deutsche Welle, where she hosts a program entitled "Sarah’s Music".[4] She also interviews soloists and conductors for the Berlin Philharmonic's Digital Concert Hall, and was a mentor and presenter for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011, in Sydney.[5] She works with Zukunft@BPhil, the Berlin Philharmonic's education programme, where she creates and presents family concerts.[6][7][8]

Willis is the host of the regular online series Horn Hangouts,[9] which are streamed live on her website and archived on her YouTube channel. The series includes interviews with famous musicians, as well as tips on playing the instrument. She credits the series with helping to create an online community of horn players around the world.[10] Willis has recorded a number of CDs as member of the Berlin Philharmonic, as soloist, and as part of chamber ensembles.[11]

References
  1. http://www.dw.com/en/sarahs-music-contemporary-classical/p-17713475-9801
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7A_aUhWVIM
  3. "Sarah Willis – Berliner Philharmoniker". Berlin Philharmonic. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  4. "Sarah's Music – Contemporary Classical". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  5. Imperato, Albert (13 June 2011). "What a Berlin Philharmonic Horn Player Learned From the YouTube Symphony Orchestra". HuffPost. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  6. "Christmas Concert: Ho, Ho, Horn!". Digital Concert Hall. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  7. "Berlin Philharmonic Brass – Biographies". Berlin Philharmonic Brass. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  8. "ASPEN Artist / Berlin Philharmonic Horn Quartet". www.aspen.jp. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  9. "8 reasons we absolutely love the Berlin Philharmonic". Classic FM. 28 October 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  10. Rees, Jasper (18 August 2014). "10 Questions for Horn Player Sarah Willis". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  11. http://sarah-willis.com/discography/


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