Sarah Goldberg | Class of 2021 - GDYO Alumni Spotlight

Being a part of GDYO helped me realize that I wanted to be an orchestral musician for the rest of my life!

Sarah Goldberg is a Nepali-American trombonist from New York City and the incoming academist of the Opernhaus Zürich, where she will begin in the fall.

She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School studying with Joseph Alessi, and recently completed her Professional Studies Certificate at The Colburn School under the instruction of David Rejano. Prior to this, she studied at Interlochen Arts Academy with Thomas Riccobono.

Sarah has served as Principal Trombone of Symphony in C and the San Gabriel Valley Symphony, and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Seraph Brass, Juilliard Orchestra, and Juilliard Trombone Choir.

Her summer festival appearances include the Lucerne Festival Academy, Spoleto Festival USA, Ojai Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, National Repertory Orchestra, Domaine Forget International Music Festival, and the Mulcahy Trombone Seminar.

Sarah has received recognition in numerous competitions, including the International Trombone Association Robert Marsteller Competition (Finalist, 2026), the Yamaha Young Performing Artist Competition (Winner, 2025), the International Women’s Brass Conference Solo Competition (Second Prize, 2024), the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle Frances Walton Competition (Finalist, 2025), the Lowell Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition (Finalist, 2023), and the International Competition for Young Instrumentalists “Gran Premio Povoletto” (Finalist, 2022). She is also a performing artist for HAAG Brass.

Tell us about yourself!

Hi, my name is Sarah Goldberg! I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and started playing trombone at age 11 through my high school band. Although none of my family members were musicians, music was always such an important part of my life since I was young. It started with listening to pop music, playing recorder, and then picking up the trombone in sixth grade.

My mother never fails to inspire me. After my father passed away, she raised my sister and me while also pursuing her master’s degree. Watching her navigate that with such strength and determination gave me a powerful example of hard work growing up.

How did GDYO impact you?

I started GDYO in the fall of 2019. I never had the opportunity to plan in an orchestra before, so it truly felt like a dream to be a part of one. I still remember how the low brass section would take the orchestra breaks to play orchestral excerpts together. It meant so much to me to be around other musicians who had so much fun playing together. Being a part of GDYO helped me realize that I wanted to be an orchestral musician for the rest of my life!

What was your college experience like?

I attended the Juilliard School in New York City for my undergraduate degree. It was undoubtedly a tough four years, but it was extremely rewarding, and I met some wonderful people. New York had so many amazing opportunities, access to amazing music and art from around the world, and most importantly is my true home. I am originally from New York and most of my family lives there, so I honestly never felt home sick!

What is the professional experience like? What are you most excited about for your new position with the Zürich Opera?

The audition process was pretty similar to how it’s run in the US. There were three rounds and the first two were blind (meaning there’s a screen in between the audition candidate and the jury).

I’m beyond excited to learn more about playing in a European orchestra, live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and hike and travel all over Europe!

How do you balance your personal and professional lives?

A big shift I’ve made this past year is to take care of myself physically and emotionally before everything else. Although every day looks super different, here are consistent parts of my week:

Early workout class in the morning – usually pilates or the Lagree method
Hiking 1-3 times a week
Running 3 times a week
Making my afternoon matcha
Of course, practicing – if my lips feel tired, prioritizing mental practice
Setting time aside every day to connect with loved ones
Journaling in the evening
30 min – 1 hour a day to work on social media
I make it a point every day to do something that scares me! Whether that’s an ice bath, doing a crazy hike, going to a social event, it’s so important to learn how much power we have to not let fear control our lives!

What are your proudest achievements so far and why?

Hiking up Mount Fuji in 2024 and getting accepted to and graduating from Juilliard stand out to me. They were both really difficult feats and I’m grateful I had the strength to push through those challenges.

What are your other hobbies or life goals?

Hiking, pilates, yoga, running, photography, social media, traveling, wellness, and honestly just trying new things!

Some life goals include trekking up Mount Everest, recording a solo album, starting a family, and working towards making social media a healthy and safe place.

What are your proudest achievements so far and why?

My advice to aspiring young musicians would be to not rely on validation from others to pursue your dreams. There will be moments where people don’t fully understand your path, and times where progress feels slow, but that doesn’t make your goals any less meaningful. If music is something you deeply love, hold onto that and keep moving forward. If I relied on validation from others to go for my dreams, I would’ve quit a long time ago. What’s most important is that you believe in yourself throughout the process.

THANK YOU SARAH FOR STEPPING INTO GDYO’S ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT!

IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW WOULD BE INTERESTED IN SHARING THE ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT OR WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GDYO ALUMNI ASSOCIATION,
CONTACT CHARILYNE ROJAS AT CHARILYNE@GDYO.ORG.