Boulder Philharmonic appoints Sara Parkinson as Director of Education and Community Engagement

The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra has appointed Sara Parkinson as the organization’s new director of education and community engagement.

“The Boulder Phil is delighted to welcome Sara Parkinson to our staff as director of education and community engagement. Sara brings great energy, a life of music-making, and a deep love of the Boulder community. We are excited to have Sara carry forward and grow the Phil's celebrated Discovery program for children, along with many other programs that enrich lives across our region,” said Katherine Lehman, executive director of the Boulder Phil.

“I am thrilled to join the Boulder Phil team and to work with Maestro Michael Butterman and the incredible musicians of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra,” said Parkinson.  “I look forward to bringing our community together through music, while nurturing our current partnerships and creating new ones.”

About Sara Parkinson

Sara Parkinson enjoys a varied career as pianist, conductor and arts administrator. She has served on the staff and faculties of University of Colorado at Boulder, Cornell College and Metropolitan State University of Denver. As pianist, she performs regularly with the Colorado Ballet Orchestra, members of the Colorado Symphony and she is a founding member of the tango/classical band, Grande Orquesta Navarre. As conductor, she made her operatic conducting debut with Mozart’s Così fan tutte for Boulder Opera in 2018 and she has been Music Director at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Boulder since 2015. Sara recently attended The Dallas Opera's Hart Institute for Women Conductors and is currently Assistant Conductor to Maestro Nicholas Carthy for CU-Boulder’s Eklund Opera production of Eugene Onegin. She has been a member of the Central City Opera Ensemble since 2012, performing in elementary schools across the Denver Metro area.  Sara is Director of Operations for Denver’s MAS Eclectic Concerts. Dr. Parkinson holds degrees from the University of Iowa, New England Conservatory of Music and CU-Boulder. She lives in Boulder with her husband and two young sons.