“I had the pleasure of working with Sarah on the production of a CD…Sarah was conductor for the entire session. No metronome or click was used. This was an exciting session as it was a live in studio recording. There was a large instrumentation consisting of 4 rhythm, 8 brass, 5 reeds, 10 strings and live artist vocal. Sarah was very well prepared and extremely pleasant to work with. However, what was really remarkable was her ability to conduct consistent tempos on each song take. When we had a master take recorded our plan was to mult or double track the string section. Regardless of no click use; Sarah’s conducting was 100% accurate to the master take that we were overdubbing to song after song, take after take. That level of professionalism caused our recording sessions to run smoothly and efficiently. I look forward to working with Sarah again!”

— Fred Breitberg (Recording Engineer/Producer)

“Sarah and I have worked together in many different capacities - performing and recording as ensemble members and each of us conducting the other. She’s a fabulous musician, a total professional, and a pleasure to work with.”

— Andy Baker (Trombonist, Conductor, Producer, Professor at Univ. Illinois Chicago)

“Sarah’s fearless enthusiasm for her field has made her an incredibly well-rounded musician. In the years I have known her, she has found success on and off the podium in a wide array of ensembles and settings, due in part to her incredible talent but also in her willingness to throw herself into unfamiliar territory. All of the times I have worked with Sarah in collaborative settings she selflessly devoted her time and energy to go above and beyond - her involvement guaranteed our success.”

— Jasper Igusa (Oboe/English Horn)

“I’ve had the privilege of playing under her baton on more than one occasion, but I’ve also had the honor of conducting Sarah as a violist for the 13 instrument version of Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring”. Her pleasant and professional demeanor, combined with her focus and incredible facility as an instrumentalist made the experience both an enjoyable and musically fulfilling one. Rarely does one find a player as sensitive and musically intuitive as Sarah!

A multifaceted talent, Sarah has inspired me as a conductor and music educator through her work time and time again; whether it was by leading Bienen’s student ensembles or conducting a recording session. Sarah has a keen ability to diagnose and address issues in the ensemble, as is evident with the many successful projects she’s overseen. The range of her musical interests and her familiarity with a broad variety of musical styles sets her apart from her peers.”

— Kyle Dickson (Esa-Pekka Salonen Fellow, Conductor, Violinist, Educator)