Sarah Schoeffler

American cellist Sarah Schoeffler currently lives in New York City where she maintains an active performing schedule and a large private studio. From 2018-2021, Sarah was a member of The Orchestra Now, where she served as one of the principal cellists. Prior to joining TŌN, Sarah was principal cellist of The Mannes Orchestra and The Mannes Opera Orchestra. Sarah has worked under other notable conductors including Joseph Colaneri, JoAnn Falletta, James Feddeck, Valery Gergiev, David Hayes, Benjamin Hochman, Fabio Luisi, and Ari Pelto. She has served as principal cellist for the Arezzo Opera Festival Orchestra, MACE (Mannes American Composers Ensemble), Apotheosis Opera, the Joffrey Ballet School and has performed in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, Alice Tully Hall, Severance Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, El Museo del Barrio, Rainey Rogers Auditorium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Teatro Petrarca, and Kaye Playhouse, among many others.

A passionate chamber musician, Sarah frequently performs with duo partner Baron Fenwick, giving recitals throughout New York City. Notable performances include concerts at the Bohemian National Hall, Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, Ernst C. Stiefel Concert Hall, Church of the Holy Trinity, and the Hungarian House. As a member of Trio FSX, formed with violinist Natalie Xia and pianist Baron Fenwick, Sarah has performed in many prestigious venues, including The Frick Collection and The German Consulate of New York and in December 2016 they made their Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Recital Hall. Additional highlights of Sarah’s work as a chamber musician include performances with Æon Music Ensemble at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, performances with soprano Susanna Phillips at the Guggenheim Museum and French Institute Alliance Francaise, and chamber performances at National Sawdust. Sarah includes Audrey Axinn, Seymour Lipkin, Victor Rosenbaum, Laurie Smukler, Ju Ying Song, Dawn Upshaw, Hiroko Yajima, and members of the Afiara, Biava, Cecilia, Juilliard, Orion, Penderecki and Rubens string quartet among her chamber music coaches.

Sarah served as principal cellist for the Arezzo Opera Festival during the summers of 2017 and 2018. For the 2014 and 2015 seasons, she was a full-scholarship young artist at the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Blue Hill, Maine. Past summer studies include the Meadowmount School of Music, where she was a scholarship student studying with Hans Jorgen Jensen (2012, 2013), the Bowdoin International Music Festival where she was a full-scholarship recipient studying with Andre Emelianoff (2011), the Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music (2010), and numerous summers at the Indiana University Summer String Academy. She has also been invited to the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Heifetz International Music Institute.

Sarah holds BM and MM degrees from the Mannes College of Music, where she was a scholarship recipient and student of Marcy Rosen. Prior to her studies at Mannes, she graduated from Susan Moses Bloom’s studio at the Indiana University String Academy in 2012. Her other mentors include Richard Aaron, Amir Eldan, Joel Krosnick, Daniel Morganstern, and Csaba Onczay, and she has had the opportunity to play in masterclasses for many other esteemed teachers including Steven Doane, Timothy Eddy, Bonnie Hampton, Gary Hoffman, Mark Kosower, Clancy Newman, David Requiro, and Sharon Robinson.

Sarah believes that pedagogy is an integral part of being an active musician. In addition to her private studio, Sarah teaches at Harmony Program, ToneRow and MusicAlly. Prior to teaching at Harmony, she worked at the Mannes Preparatory and Extension divisions assisting and participating in chamber groups with the students in these divisions. Sarah will be joining the faculty at the Lawrence Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies at Queens College in 2022 and is currently pursuing Suzuki Teacher Training at the School for Strings under the instruction of Pamela Devenport.

Sarah plays a 1923 Noe Annichiarico cello from Bari, Italy.