Sarah Hamilton

Dr. Sarah Hamilton is Professor of Oboe and Associate Director at the State University of New York at Fredonia, where she has been a longtime member of the touring Fredonia Woodwind Quintet. She serves as principal oboe with the Western New York Chamber Orchestra and solo English Horn with the Erie Philharmonic, performing with ensembles including the Buffalo Philharmonic and Chautauqua Symphony.

Her educational background includes:

• Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from The Ohio State University
• Master of Music (MM) from Wayne State University under Robert Sorton
• Bachelor of Music (BM) from the University of Western Ontario with Shelley Heron, Geralyn Giovannetti, and Perry Baumen

Dr. Hamilton's research focuses on diversity in classical repertoire, the "New" Classical Music paradigm, musician's health through Body Mapping, and community engagement. She actively works to make oboe accessible in public schools and explores the evolving role of the 21st-century musician, as seen in her presentation "Finding Your Way as a 21st Century Performing Musician".

Her recent intellectual output includes educational publications like "Teaching Woodwinds: Oboe" and "12 'Soon to be Famous' Studies", performances of contemporary works including world premieres, and presentations on music education. These contributions emphasize pedagogy for young oboists, commissioning new Canadian music, and innovative approaches to classical performance.

Dr. Hamilton has not received major scientific awards, but her work has been supported by competitive grants.

She has secured two Canada Council for the Arts grants in 2022 for new oboe repertoire and is a dedicated mentor to oboe students at SUNY Fredonia, guiding them in performance, chamber music, and career development.

Dr. Hamilton performs with the Can-Am Oboe Trio, Fredonia Woodwind Quintet, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, and Erie Philharmonic, using these platforms to commission new works and engage communities through diverse programming.