SARAH PLUM
Praised by textura as “both an intrepid new music champion and a violin virtuoso,” Sarah Plum is an internationally recognized soloist and recording artist known for her deep, long-term collaborations with composers. Through an expansive commissioning practice and a wide-ranging performance career, she has premiered a substantial body of contemporary works, playing a definitive role in the evolution of the modern violin repertoire.
Acclaimed for her “consistently stunning” playing (Third Coast Digest), Plum is frequently invited to present composer driven programs at leading global venues including Ankunft:Neue Musik (Berlin), Ars Musica Brussels, the Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh), the Center for New Music San Francisco, The CUBE at Virginia Tech, and Stanford University’s CCRMA. Through academic residencies at Duke University, UC Davis, and Virginia Tech, among others, she actively mentors a new generation of creators, bridging the gap between pedagogy and professional practice.
Plum’s discography on Blue Griffin Recordings stands as a significant document of the composer-performer relationship. These releases, largely consisting of world-premiere recordings, have been described by The Whole Note as an “important addition to the contemporary violin discography.” Her fifth solo release, an expanding distance of multiple voices, continues this legacy by featuring works by six composers. These are pieces by long term collaborators as well as newer composer partners, all of which are much performed favorites of her repertoire.
Based in Chicago since 2018, Plum is a vital figure in the city’s vibrant new music landscape. She has presented recitals at Constellation and Experimental Sound Studio, soloed with the Chicago Composers Orchestra, and performed at festivals including Ear Taxi, CHIME Fest, and Thirsty Ears, while collaborating with elite ensembles such as Fulcrum Point, Ensemble Dal Niente, and Access Contemporary Music.
Join Sarah Plum and friends on April 3 for a special evening at Chicago’s newest new-music venue, The Checkout, celebrating the release of her upcoming CD.
While the album is largely a solo project (with the exception of Mari Takano’s duo with violinist Yvonne Lam), this concert expands the celebration into a vibrant night of collaboration and chamber music. Plum will be joined by guest artists Mathias Tacke, Catherine Brubaker, Isidora Nojkovic, Shi-An Costello, Dror Baitel, and Sergei Kvitko for a program that highlights the joy of making music together.
The program features works by Hans Abrahamsen, Jeffrey Mumford, Osnat Netzer, Mari Takano, Tonia Ko, Sidney Corbett, and Ben Fuhrmann.
