Sarah Ioannides - Guest Conductor for 2025

Described by the New York Times as a conductor with "unquestionable strength and authority" and a conductor with "magic" (News Tribune), Sarah loannides has gained recognition as one the most sought after women conductors of today for her passionate performances, multifaceted leadership and creative productions.

Currently Music Director of Symphony Tacoma, loannides conducts extensively in the United States as a guest, including the Buffalo Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Hawaii Symphony, Louisville Orchestra, North Carolina Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony and the Cincinnati Symphony, where she was the first woman appointed to a full-time conducting position. Internationally, she has conducted on six continents with orchestras including Tonkünstler, Royal Philharmonic, Orchestre Nationale de Lyon, Malmö & Gothenburg Symphony, Flemish Radio, Bilbao Symphony and Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra.

loannides has conducted and curated over 60 Wor, North American and European orchestral premiers, recorded world premieres with Nordic Chamber Orchestra, Malmö Symphony and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Formerly, collaborator with composer/conductor Tan Dun, she has produced original videos for live orchestral multimedia performances and digital productions. As Music Director her orchestras have received prestigious awards including ArtWorks grants for community projects, commissioning music and films spotlighting current issues. Equally at home with opera and choral repertoire, she has led many opera productions and conducted at festivals worldwide, including the European premiere of Stephen Paulus' The Woodlanders, and Australian & Greek premieres of Tan Dun's Water Passion after St. Matthew.

Passionate about education, Sarah is the Founding Artistic Director of Cascade Conducting & Composing, now in its 6th year, which supports diversity on the podium through generous scholarhsips. loannides continues to conducts conservatory orchestras such as Yale University, the Jacobs School of Music and the Curtis Institute of Music. Appearing as guest speaker and on numerous advisory boards, she has served as NEA Panelist for the US Government.

Born in Australia, of Greek and Scottish descent, she was raised in England, studied at Oxford University, the Guildhall School and The Juilliard School, earning two Master's degrees. loannides came to the USA as a Fulbright Scholar and graduated from The Curtis Institute of Music, a protégé of the late Otto-Werner Mueller. Married to Scott Hartman, renowned trombonist, they have three children, including twins, Elsa and Karl, and Audrey. An avid long-distance runner Sarah won first place overall woman in the 30k The Defiance in 2021 and in 2022 qualifying for the Boston Marathon.