Sarah Blackman
Violin
Sarah joined WASO in 2010.
Sarah studied at the Australian National Academy of Music and took lessons from Bill Hennessy, Monica Curro and Paul Wright. Before moving to Melbourne she completed a Bachelor of Music degree at the Elder Conservatorium in Adelaide, where she has studied with Terence Tam, the Concertmaster of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Keith Crellin.
Sarah appeared as Concertmaster of the Elder Chamber and Symphony Orchestras on numerous occasions and as soloist she performed with the Elder Chamber Orchestra. Additionally, she regularly performed for the Music Lovers Society and Recitals Australia, for whom she was a 2007 award winner.
At university she was the recipient of the Christ Church and Eugene Alderman Violin Scholarships, and while resident at Melbourne University’s Ormond College received the Bill and Joan Paterson Scholarship and the Kaye Scott Instrumental Scholarship. Other awards include the Suzanne and Arved Kurtz and the 2004 Australian Strings Association Awards. Sarah has played with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in their TSO/AYO collaborations on multiple occasions.
Sarah toured nationally with the Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) and has been a principal player in various AYO programs. She performed in the AYO’s 50th anniversary international tour to Europe, including performances at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 2008 she was Concertmaster of the Bishop Orchestra at the AYO’s National Music Camp and also the Associate Concertmaster of the AYO. Sarah has been broadcast on ABC Classic FM and was awarded the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Fellowship in 2008. That same year she and fellow musicians from the Academy of Music performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra on one of their national concert tours.