Sarah Hicks is a conductor, educator, arranger, producer, writer, adn speaker committed to creating connections through music. She has collaborated with diverse artists including Hilary Hahn, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Rufus Wainwright, Ben Folds, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, and Sting. Her passion for cross-genre partnerships led to a 2019 album with rap artist Dessa and the Minnesota Orchestra, where she is principal conductor of Live at Orchestra Hall.

Hicks made her San Francisco Symphony debut in July 2009 and has also worked with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Toronto Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, RTÉ Orchestra, Danish National Symphony, Czech National Symphony, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, and Malaysian Philharmonic. Her commitment to new music led to a micro-commission project, and her recording of new concertos, Triple Doubles, has been released by the Bridge label. Her interest in the intersection of mental health and music led to the production of a concert titled Music and the Mind.

Born in Japan and raised in Hawaii, Hicks is fluent in Japanese and holds degrees from Harvard University and the Curtis Institute of Music.
 

Rainer Eudeikis has been Principal Cello of the San Francisco Symphony since 2022, holding the Philip S. Boone Chair. Prior to his appointment, he was principal cello of the Atlanta Symphony and the Utah Symphony.
He made an acclaimed solo debut with the SF Symphony in 2024, performing Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Cello Concerto under the composer’s baton, leading to a commercial release on SFS Media, distributed by Warner Classics. Other notable performances include concerto appearances with the Atlanta Symphony, Utah Symphony, and other ensembles, as well as solo, recital, and chamber music performances across the United States and abroad.

Born in Texas, Eudeikis began studying cello at the age of six. Following studies in Colorado with Jurgen de Lemos, he attended the University of Michigan as a student of Richard Aaron, completing his bachelor of music in three years with highest honors. He received his master of music from Indiana University, where he studied with Eric Kim, and subsequently completed his artist diploma at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Carter Brey and Peter Wiley.

Eudeikis has been invited to serve as artist-faculty at the Aspen Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Festival Napa Valley, and is a dedicated teacher and coach. He performs exclusively on Larsen strings.