Dr. Sarah Jones-Hayes — Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola, School of Music and Dance
The College and the School of Music and Dance welcome Dr. Sarah Jones-Hayes as Assistant Professor of Violin and Viola this fall. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Sarah has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across the U.S. as well as in Europe and China. A seasoned instructor of music, Sarah has taught at Arkansas State University, Wayne State University, and the University of Michigan, as well as in the Cleveland Institute of Music’s preparatory department and at the Interlochen Summer Camp and Violin Institute.
Sarah earned her baccalaureate and master’s degrees in violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music. After completing her D.M.A. at the University of Michigan, Sarah served as concertmaster of the North Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, associate concertmaster of the Delta Symphony, and associate concertmaster of Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra. In addition to her work as a soloist and a chamber musician, Sarah has been a member of the symphony orchestras in Canton, Akron, Traverse, and Arkansas. She is excited to become a part of the SJSU community, and work with the dedicated faculty and students that make up the campus.
As a professor, Sarah strives to help students discover their potential, and then to develop the tools they need to perform throughout their careers at SJSU and beyond. Her extensive experience as a musician, a concertmaster, and a teacher allows her to build strong relationships with students that motivate them to work to achieve their musical potential.
Sarah remarks, “Having the best of both worlds, teaching and performance, is probably what I enjoy the most.”
When performing, Sarah draws on the words of Henryk Szeryng: “Your conception of a work must be grand. If you feel this conviction, and your emotional message is sufficiently clear, your public will understand it even if they may not be able to articulate it.”
By Kaitlynn Magnuson
