Sarah O' Brien

Biography

In her programmes, Sarah O’Brien frees the harp from its narrow romantic framework and gives it an independent voice, from baroque to contemporary literature.

Sarah O’Brien had been principal harpist of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam and the Munich Philharmonic for over 20 years, when she decided in 2014 to focus on teaching and devoting more time to her students. After positions at the Mozarteum Salzburg and the Rotterdam Conservatory, she is now professor of harp at the Zurich University of the Arts and the Hochschule für Musik in Basel. Her students are prizewinners of international competitions and winners of orchestra positions.

In addition to numerous guest professorships and courses, Sarah O’Brien is a jury member of international harp competitions and a specialist expert in auditions and appointment committees.
The prizewinner of the Concours d’Execution Musicale (CIEM-Genève) and winner of the study award of the Ernst Göhner Foundation studied with Catherine Eisenhoffer (Geneva) and Susann McDonald (USA). Further studies with the great harpist Pierre Jamet, who himself had worked with Debussy, complemented her education.
Her position as principal harpist of two of the world’s most renowned orchestras has led her on tours through Europe, Asia and the USA as well as in all great concert halls worldwide.
She performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra under Bernard Haitink and Hans Vonk, with the Munich Philharmonic under Hartmut Haenchen, the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande under Fabio Luisi and Arpad Gerez, the Radio-Sinfonieorchester Basel and the Polish National Radio Symphony, the Zurich and Basel Chamber Orchestras and many more.

Sarah O’Brien has worked regularly with such composers as Luciano Berio, Heinz Holliger, Mauricio Kagel, Wolfgang Rihm, Hans Zender and Klaus Huber.
Numerous CD and radio recordings as soloist and chamber musician as well as with orchestra document her artistic work. Furthermore, she enriched as a guest speaker various radio productions with her expertise and is an lector for new editions of harp literature.