Sarah Gibson to join faculty at UCSB Department of Music

Thornton alumna Sarah Gibson (MM ’10, DMA ’15) will join the faculty at the UC Santa Barbara Department of Music and College of Creative Studies as Teaching Professor in Composition this fall. Gibson will be teaching courses in composition, music theory, orchestration and other performance-related courses. “Her background and support of new musical compositions, along with her dedication to teaching young aspiring composers has already established her as a musical phenomenon in Southern California and beyond,” says Robert Koenig, Chair of the Department of Music. “As an active performer, she brings the highest level of commitment to our music programs at UCSB and our students are certain to flourish under her careful guidance.”

Gibson formerly taught at USC Thornton as a Lecturer in Composition, Theory and Analysis. She continues her work as a performer and composer, serving as Associate Artistic Director of the HEAR NOW Music Festival of Los Angeles Composers, as well as working with Artistic Director Andrew Norman as the Lead-Teaching Artist for the Nancy and Barry Sanders Los Angeles Philharmonic Composer Fellowship Program. Recently, Gibson has received acclaim for the work of her piano duo HOCKET, which she co-founded with Thornton alumnus Thomas Kotcheff (MM ’12).