Sarah Nail is a native of Tallahassee, Florida. She began her musical studies on the violin at the age of three before switching to cello at the age of six. She attended the Alabama School of Fine Arts and the renowned Interlochen Arts Academy. She then went on to obtain her Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance from DePaul University, where she studied with Steven Balderston of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Sarah was quite an active member of the arts community of both Birmingham, Alabama, and Chicago, Illinois. She was a frequent member of The Chicago Composers Orchestra from 2016 to 2019. In addition to being a member of the CCO, she also taught underprivileged students within the Music for Kids program, in Chicago.
Sarah received her Masters Degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she studied with Alison Wells and Martin Storey. Since moving to Glasgow in 2019, she has played in workshops with the Scottish Opera, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the RSNO. She has also worked and performed with the Scottish Ensemble, the Brodsky Quartet, and the Scottish Pops Orchestra. Sarah has studied music in Italy, America, and the UK and has also participated in studio recording and film projects. In 2022, her piano trio (Trio Alora) performed at Wigmore Hall, in London, for the Cavatina Intercollegiate Competition and was awarded the Audience Prize.
Since leaving education, Sarah has performed with the Edinburgh City Orchestra, Dundee Symphony Orchestra, Dundee Repertory Theatre, the Tayside Symphony and most recently, singer songwriter Siobhan Wilson. Sarah has also participated in educational side-by-side projects with the Angus Youth Orchestra, while also being an Instrumental Ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation, and instructor for Dundee City Council and the Glasgow School of Music. In her free time, she enjoys freelancing and is an active chamber musician in her community and across Scotland, performing with her ensemble, the Soteria Piano Trio.
2024 Bernstein Opera, Trouble in Tahiti St. Andrew’s Chamber Opera
2024 James Bond Charity Concert with Scottish Pops Orchestra
2024 Soteria Trio performance at Westbourne Music Series in Glasgow
2024 Soteria Trio performance at Jordanhill Parish Church Glasgow
2024 Soteria Trio performance at St. Paul’s Cathedral Dundee
2023 Perth Sinfonia Beethoven Concert
2023 Christmas String Quartet St. Salvador’s Church Dundee
2023 Christmas String Quartet Dunbar
2023 Siobhan Wilson Sneaky Pete’s Club Edinburgh Fringe Festival
2023 St. Marys Cathedral Edinburgh Fringe Festival Soteria Trio
2023 Christie Quartet in Dunbar
2023 Solo Cello Riddle’s Court Edinburgh
2023 Bothwell Parish Church Soteria Trio
2023 St. Salvador’s Church Dundee Soteria Trio
2023 Voxbox Summer Solstice Fayre with Siobhan Wilson
2023 Futtle Organic Brewery Festival performance with Siobhan Wilson
2023 Side-by-side with Angus Youth Orchestra
2023 Dundee Repertory Theatre Oklahoma
2023 Tayside Symphony Summer Concert
2023 Dundee Symphony Orchestra Summer Concert
2023 Arbroath Choral Society - Mozart and Handel (assistant principal)
2023 Edinburgh Academy Spring Concert - Bizets Carmen (assistant principal)
2023 Edinburgh City Orchestra Mahler 5 (assistant principal)
2022 A String Quartet Christmas - Dundee
2022-23 Edinburgh City Orchestra (assistant principal)
2022 The Nutcracker on Tour WICM
2022 WICM Autumn Hues
2022 Soteria Ensemble in Oban - Piano Quintet Concert
2022 WICM Summer Concert - violin/cello duo
2022 WICM Spring Concert - Soteria Duo
2022 Kaleidoscopic side-by-side with the Benedetti Foundation
2022 Soteria Ensemble Summer Concerts
2022 Trio Alora Wigmore Hall Cavatina Competition
2022 Wellington Concert Series Trio Alora
2022 Trio Alora Dunbar Piano Competition
2022 Arta Wedding Quartet
2021 Cellist of the Rosewood Wedding Quartet
2021 Soteria Ensemble Cello/Piano Duo; recording
2021 Capella and Cairn wedding quartets
2021 BBC SSO side-by-side (assistant principal)
2020 Mendelssohn Octet recording RCS
2020 Piano Trio Concert Polokshields Church of Scotland
2020 RCS Orchestra Rachmaninov Symphony No 2
2020 String Prize Competition - Commended Performance
2020 Dunbar Piano Competition
2020 30 Films, 1 orchestra; recording (principal)
2020 Grosse Fugue with The Brodsky Quartet side-by-side
2020 Scottish Ensemble sibe-by-side project (assistant principal)
2019 Scottish Opera side-by-side project (assistant principal)
2019 RCS Orchestra Sibelius 5 Concert (assistant principal)
2019 Performance in Orchestra Hall - Chicago
2019 Bruch Violin Concerto with Itzak Perlman
2019 DePaul University Opera Hansel and Great
2019 Cello Studio Recital Popper Requiem
2019 Final Year Recital
2018 GMM cafe music Debussy String Quartet
2018 First Degree Recital
2018 DePaul University Opera The Merry Widow
2018 Anniston Alabama Church Concert
2017 Cello Studio Recital
2017 Masterclass with Paul York
2017 DePaul University Symphony Orchestra
2017-19 DePaul University Baroque Ensemble
2016 Sophomore year; Recital Kabalevsky Concerto
2016-19 Chicago Composers Orchestra
2016 Brancaleoni International Music Festival
2015-16 DePaul University Concert Orchestra
2015 NSO SMI performance in Kennedy Center; Washington D.C.
2015 side-by-side with the National Symphony Orchestra; Washington D.C.
2014 Rachmaninov 2nd Piano Concerto with Alexandre Tharaud & Detroit Symphony
2015 Schubert Mass in G Traverse City Choral Society
2015 Interlochen Arts Academy Orchestra
2015 Recital IAA
2014 IAA devised theatre project
2014 Into the Woods IAA musical theater
2014 Masterclass with Astrid Schween
2014 Masterclass with Mehai Tetel
2014 Masterclass with Rhonda Rider
2014 IAA Sleeping Beauty Production
2014 IAA Orchestra
2014 IAA Concerto Competition
2013 IAA Nutcracker Production
2022 Trio Allora Dunbar Piano Competition O'Connorp
2013 IAA Orchestra
2013 Luther Summer Music Concerto Competition Winner
2013 The Merry Widow Birmingham, Alabama
2013 Alabama School of Fine Arts Ballet
2013 Little Women Musical Red Mountain Theatre
2013 Masterclass with Joshua Roman
2013 Alabama All State Orchestra
2012 Hillsong Tour Birmingham, Alabama
2011-2013 ASFA piano trio
2013 Birmingham, Alabama Church concert
2011-13 Alabama School of Fine Arts String & Symphony Orchestra
2010-11 Alabama Youth Symphony Orchestra
2010 Alabama Honor Strings Solo Competition
2007 EYO in Carnegie Hall
2007 Alabama Honor Strings
2006 Anniston Chamber of Commerce
2006-13 Alabama All State Orchestra
2006 Anniston Alabama soloist
2006 Alabama Honor Strings Solo Competition
2022 Cello Instructor The Glasgow School of Music
2022 String Instructor at Dundee City Schools
2021 Ambassador at the Benedetti Foundation
2016-19 Music for Kids Chicago
2011-13 Scrollworks
Cello lessons, private, online tutorials, ABRSM/Trinity/National 5 exams preparation and requests are available via contact