Sarah Steeves
Sarah Steeves, B.Mus. Cello performance (Toronto), M.Mus. (McGill), ARCT Piano Performer (RCM)
Cello, Suzuki Cello, Piano
A native of Strathmore, Alberta, cellist Sarah Steeves has performed around the world in countries such as Brazil, China, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom. She currently resides in Toronto where she is a member of Sinfonia Toronto and a doctoral student at the University of Toronto. Highlights from her 2009-2010 included a performance in Carnegie Hall with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas and the World Orchestra’s tour of China.
Sarah holds a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Performance from the University of Toronto (2007) and a Master of Music in Performance from McGill University (2009). Sarah earned Royal Conservatory of Music Diplomas in Cello and Piano Performance in 2003 and 2004 respectively. Her principal teachers have been Brian Manker, Tom Mirhady, Tanya Prochazka, and Shauna Rolston. Sarah has received many awards and prizes including first places at the Canadian Music Competitions and the Alberta Provincial Music Festival, the Royal Conservatory of Music's Gold Medal for A.R.C.T. in Cello Performance and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Scholarship. Sarah is currently working on her Doctorate of Music at U of T.
As a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player, Sarah has performed at the Aldeburgh, Banff, Domaine Forget, Orford, Toronto Bach, Toronto Summer Music, and Windy Mountain Music Festivals as well at Toronto's Arts & Letters Club. She has performed with the Disney Young Musician’s Symphony Orchestra, Mississauga Symphony Orchestra, National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Orchestra London, Sudbury Symphony Orchestra, World Orchestra, and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. Keenly interested in contemporary music, Sarah has performed at McGill University’s MusiMars and the University of Toronto’s New Music Festivals. She has premiered new works by many young Canadian composers, including a commission of Kevin Lau’s Starsail in March 2008. Throughout her career, Sarah has worked with many great musicians including Valery Gergiev,Rivka Golani, Lawrence Lesser, Edgar Meyer, Aldo Parisot,Kryszstof Penderecki, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Janos Starker, and Benjamin Zander as well as the Leipzig and St. Lawrence String Quartets.
As a registered Suzuki teacher, Sarah teaches privately and at the Classical Music Conservatory (since 2009). She recently spent six weeks coaching cello students in Neojibá, a project located in Salvador, Brazil which provides musical education to underprivileged young adults. Sarah has also maintained studios at Montreal’s McGill Conservatory and the Wychwood Music School in Toronto.