Sarah Gibson

Biography

Sarah Gibson is a composer and pianist who has been called “a serious talent to watch” (Atlanta Journal Constitution). Her works have received honors and recognitions such as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's Sound Investment composer, American Composers Orchestra Underwood New Music Readings, Victor Herbert ASCAP award, NFMC Marion Richter American Music Composition Award, and first place in the Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest. Her Left-hand Piano Concerto was selected as a winner of The University of Southern California’s (USC) New Music for Orchestra competition and was premiered with Sarah at the keyboard. She has received commissions from the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Tanglewood Music Center, Aspen Summer Music Festival and School, L.A. Signal Lab, the Bennington Chamber Music Conference, soprano Lindsay Kesselman, among others.

Gibson’s music has been performed by Jennifer Koh, Eighth Blackbird, Lindsay Kesselman, New Fromm Players, Departure Duo, the USC Symphony, Left Coast Chamber Ensemble, Aperture Duo, and at various venues across the United States and in Europe. As a pianist, Sarah has performed with many of these ensembles as well as with wild Up, the Bang on a Can All-Stars, and the Atlanta Symphony where she debuted under the direction of Donald Runnicles in 2005. Sarah is published by the Neil A. Kjos Music Company and Mostly Marimba Productions. Her song cycle, Arson, is recorded by Bad Wolf Music Group, performed by Lindsay Kesselman and Christopher Lees.

Sarah is co-founder of the new music piano duo, HOCKET, which has been lauded as "brilliant" by the LA Times' Mark Swed. In 2014, HOCKET made its debut with the Boston-based Firebird Ensemble as part of their Outstanding Young Artists Initiative. HOCKET has held residences at Avaloch Farm Music Institute and received grants from the Earle Brown Music Foundation and the Presser Foundation. HOCKET has performed at such festivals as the MATA Festival, the L.A. Philharmonic's Noon to Midnight, Other Minds Festival, and the Carlsbad Music Festival.

Sarah received Bachelor of Music Degrees in Piano and Composition from Indiana University, a Masters of Music degree in Composition at the University of Southern California, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in composition, also at USC, with minors in Keyboard Collaborative Arts, Theory, and Conducting.

Alongside Artistic Director Andrew Norman, she is the Lead-Teaching Artist for the esteemed Nancy and Barry Sanders Los Angeles Philharmonic Composer Fellowship Program. Sarah is a Teaching Professor in Composition at the University of California, Santa Barbara in the Music Department and College of Creative Studies.