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Sarah Weaver

Composer/conductor Sarah Weaver works internationally with experimental music forms for large ensembles.

About Me

Sarah Weaver, Ph.D. is a New York-based contemporary composer, conductor, technologist, educator, researcher, and administrator working internationally as a specialist in large ensemble and network arts. Her work innovates contemplative concepts on network, synchrony, synthesis, and interconnection for artistic and social purpose. Weaver is Director of NowNet Arts, Director of the Sarah Weaver Ensemble, Editor of the Journal of Network Music and Arts (JONMA). Executive Director of the JackTrip Foundation. and on the Faculty of The New School College of Performing Arts in New York.

Weaver has been an innovator for fifteen years in network arts advancing live performance via the internet by musicians and artists in different geographic locations. The technological system utilizes JackTrip together with specialized audio and video technology for low-latency, multichannel, performance-quality experience. Weaver has worked closely in this medium with Chris Chafe, Mark Dresser, early works with Pauline Oliveros, and many collaborators internationally. Her recent works for the NowNet Arts Ensemble include “Intergral Infinity (2021)”, “Requiem: Interconnection (2020)”, and “Universal Synchrony Music (2019)” collaboration with NASA Kepler/K2 Mission. As founder and director of NowNet Arts, Weaver operates the NowNet Arts Ensemble, the Lab Ensemble research group, Festival, Conference, Series, Virtual Venue, and Training Programs.

Weaver has composed works for solo, chamber, and large ensemble for twenty-five years, integrating influences of classical, jazz, world, contemplative, electronic music, and individual music languages of performers. The work incorporates a spectrum of notation (staff, graphics, text), structures for improvisation, and a hybrid approach of gesture applying Soundpainting (originated by Walter Thompson) and original gestures. Weaver has written for the languages of musicians at the forefront of the field including Ray Anderson, Jane Ira Bloom, Samir Chatterjee, Yoon Sun Choi, Robert Dick, Mark Dresser, Marty Ehrlich, Julie Ferrara, Gerry Hemingway, Oliver Lake, Denman Maroney, Joe McPhee, Stephan Moore, Ned Rothenberg, David Taylor, Doug Van Nort, Min Xiao-Fen, and James Zollar. Recent works include compilations “Synthesis Series (2021)” and “Synchrony Series (2011-2019)” Music of Sarah Weaver and Collaborations, “Duplexity State (2020)” collaboration with multidisciplinary artist Daniel Pinheiro, and “Reality Axis (2011-2016)” solo percussion works for Gerry Hemingway. Her works have been performed at contemporary venues throughout New York and internationally.

Weaver has been a contemporary conductor for over 20 years. Weaver conducts all of her ensemble compositions and conducts compositions of collaborators especially in network arts. Originally trained in classical and jazz music conducting, her early conducting teachers included William Jastrow, John Stanley Ross, James Tapia, H. Robert Reynolds, and workshops with conductors such as Marin Alsop, Larry Rachleff, and Frederick Fennell. Professionally Weaver pursued the Soundpainting language of Walter Thompson as his associate and for her own works. Weaver then continued on into her current form of conducting that integrates classical and jazz music conducting, Soundpainting, original gestures for network arts settings, and original gestures for her compositions. Weaver is also involved with further research in technology-mediated conducting for future applications.

Recordings and publications involving Weaver’s works include “Synchrony: Music of Sarah Weaver and Collaborations (2011-2019)” recording (SyncSource Label) and research paper for Journal of Network Music and Arts, “Reality Axis” solo works for Gerry Hemingway (SyncSource Label), “Source” with the SLM Ensemble (SyncSource Label), “Universal Synchrony Music, Volume 1” in the DVD “Virtual Tour: A Reduced-Carbon Footprint Concert Series” (pfMENTUM Label), “Deep Tones for Peace” (Kadima Label), 2011 and 2015 Compendiums: Music as a Global Resource: Solutions for Social and Economic Issues, and “Telematic Music: Six Perspectives” research paper by Oliveros, Weaver, Dresser, Pitcher, Braasch, and Chafe, for Leonardo Music Journal.

As an educator, Weaver is on the faculty of New School College of Performing Arts. She has taught and presented at many universities in-person and via the internet including Carleton University Ottawa, Carnegie Mellon University, Concordia University, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), LaSalle School of Contemporary Music Singapore, National University of Singapore, New York University (New York, Abu Dhabi, Florence), New Zealand School of Music, Northwestern University, Queens University Belfast, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Silpakorn University Bangkok, Sivas Cumhuriyet University Turkey, Stanford University, Stony Brook University, Trossingen University of Music Germany, University of California San Diego, University College Cork Ireland, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, University of Virginia, York University Toronto, and Zurich University of the Arts. Weaver teaches private lessons in New York and online.

Weaver was raised in the Chicago area in a family of humanitarians and began working in New York in 1998. She holds the degrees Bachelor of Music with Education Certificate from University of Michigan, Master of Music in Music Technology from New York University, and Ph.D. in Music Composition from Stony Brook University. She is certified in Soundpainting and Deep Listening. Weaver is a member of College Music Society and ASCAP.