Hometown:
Bemidji, Minnesota
Education:
Baylor University, Bachelor of Music (2020)
Bio:
Sarah Hamrin earned a Bachelor of Music in viola performance from Baylor University in 2020 under Dr. Kathy Steely, and has studied violin with Dr. Bruce Berg and Mitchell Newman. She received an honorable mention at the American Viola Society Collegiate Solo Competition in 2018. She currently serves as co-concertmaster of the Bemidji Symphony, section violin with the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony, is a church pianist, and teaches private music lessons.
What inspired you to become a musician?
I have always wanted to be able to play what I heard.
Name your favorite composers and/or pieces:
Tchaikovsky, I love the melodies and emotional expression.
What is an interesting fact about you and/or your instrument?
My violin is a Snow violin and I love snow, so I find it very fitting.
When taking a break from music-making, what is your favorite thing to do?
I like to draw or walk in the woods.
Why did you choose the NRO?
I chose the NRO because I’d heard good things, had enjoyed seeing a bit of it from the audience the in 2025, and decided to go for it. I love playing music and I think being here this summer will help me further my performance goals. In undergrad, I was working towards taking orchestral auditions on viola, learning all the orchestral repertoire and excerpts there. In the last couple years, I’ve decided to pivot, and have been having fun with violin. It’s exciting to be able to play so many great works again from another perspective, and there’s so much violin repertoire that I’ve fallen in love with that I get to play now!