Biography
Sarah Hegenderfer is a composer whose work centers on storytelling through sound, blending atmospheric orchestration with an emotionally driven and cinematic musical language. Drawing inspiration from natural imagery, folklore, psychological depth, and human connection, her music explores themes of transformation, wonder, and resilience. Her distinctive voice combines lyrical melodies, vivid orchestral color, and a deep commitment to communicating with audiences.
Sarah is currently completing a Bachelor of Music in Composition at The University of Akron, where she studies with James Wilding and Robert Brownlow. Her musical background is shaped by experience as a composer, conductor, vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and trumpeter, informing an approach to writing that is both collaborative and performer-conscious.
Her music has been programmed by professional ensembles including the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, with performances at E.J. Thomas Hall and Severance Hall in Cleveland. Her works have also been performed internationally in and featured on university concerts, chamber music programs, and educational performances.
Sarah is the recipient of the Presser Undergraduate Scholar Award, one of the most prestigious honors awarded to undergraduate music students in the United States. Additional honors and opportunities include selection for the Composers Sandbox Intensive in Geneva, New York, where she collaborated with the Grammy Award-winning “Sinoatrial”.
She has participated in masterclasses and workshops with composers including Eric Whitacre, Omar Thomas, Marc Mellits, Jennifer Jolley, and other leading artists in contemporary and media composition. Her growing body of work spans orchestral, chamber, choral, solo, and interdisciplinary projects, with a particular interest in music for concert, animation, and interactive media.
Beyond composition, Sarah is the founder and president of the Akron New Music Society, a student-led organization dedicated to fostering collaboration between composers and performers and encouraging the creation and performance of new music. She is also an active performer, conductor, and educator. Sarah is an avid traveler and dog lover, companionship and joyful curiosity continually inspire her creative life.
Through her work, Sarah seeks to create music that is imaginative, emotionally resonant, and accessible while maintaining a strong sense of individual voice.
