After a distinguished career as a performer, violinist Sarah Plum has been appointed Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola at the Drake University department of music. Since winning the first prize in the International Stulberg Competition in 1984 she has appeared on stages in the US and abroad as a soloist and chamber musician. Additionally, she has played in European orchestras both as a leading and section player. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School where she received a Bachelor's and Master's degree and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where she received a DMA. Her major teachers were Szymon Goldberg, Joyce Robbins, Dorothy Delay and David Cerone.
Soon after receiving her DMA she moved to Europe, where she played in the West German Radio Symphony Orchestra (WDR) Cologne as well as the North German Radio Orchestra (NDR) and Saarlaendischer Rundfunk Symphony Orchestra among others. With these orchestras she played under conductors such as Semyon Bychkov, Andre Previn, Christoph Eschenbach, Kurt Masur and Mariss Jansons; took part in tours of Europe, North and South America and performed at international venues and festivals. Her orchestral experiences also included principal and concertmaster positions in the London Philharmonic, Saarlaendisches Staatstheater, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra and the Kammerorchester Pforzheim.
As a modern music specialist she played at festivals such as Archipel, Ars Musica, the Luzern Festival and the Festival d'Automne Paris and with groups such as the Ensemble Moderne, Musik Fabrik Nord Rhein Westfalen, Nieuw Ensemble Amsterdam and Ensemble Contrechamps. As well as extensive touring and recording she premiered numerous pieces by composers such as Brian Ferneyhough, Salvatore Sciarrino, Emmanuel Nunes, and Toshio Hosakawa. Noted solo performances include the world premiere of Sidney Corbett's Archipel at the Landesuseum Mainz as well as recitals in Berlin and Paris.
Sarah has been heard in numerous TV and Radio Broadcasts on the WDR, NDR, Deutsche Welle and BBC. She has recorded on the Bridge, BMG, Arte Nova and Cappriccio labels.
