"True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time." - George Gershwin
With a passion for American musical culture and popular genres, Sarah Favinger developed herself as a contemporary musician who embraces where the classical and popular music worlds collide. Influenced early on by jazz, classic rock, and funk, Ms. Favinger has since traveled far and wide to develop her musical skills. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from James Madison University in May of 2012 in Music Performance. In August of 2015 she graduated with a double major Master of Music degree in Double Bass Performance and Music History and Literatures at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. In 2016 she completed a year of intensive study at the International Rabbath Institute Paris with François Rabbath. In Paris, she actively performed in recitals at the Cité Universitaire and around the city as a soloist and in the jazz sphere, including a pair of Kurt Weill concerts with soprano Jennifer Linshield and at jam sessions. Her previous teachers and mentors include: François Rabbath, Sandor Ostlund, Samuel Cross, Adam Hopkins, and Joseph Fischer.
Currently, Ms. Favinger resides in Brooklyn, New York, where she is using her versatility as a player to carve out a space in a competitive musical environment performing on both upright & electric bass. She primarily performs in pit orchestras with theater companies throughout New York City. In 2024, Ms. Favinger was the chair holder and part originator for the Off-Broadway hit FIVE: The Parody Musical and the Off-Broadway run & Original Cast Recording of Empire The Musical. She has also subbed on Broadway for shows such as SIX! Ms. Favinger has performed at respected venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and 54Below, as well as in several New York Musical Festival productions at the Signature Theater. In June 2025, she will be presenting at the International Society of Bassists Convention on how high school & collegiate music ensembles can better prepare students for professional careers as freelance musicians. In collaboration with dancer and choreographer Melani de Guzman, Ms. Favinger composed and premiered several new works for dancer and solo double bass in 2018 and 2019. Since 2020, Sarah has been a member of the pop-punk band PLZ RSPND, which is currently producing their first full length album.
Notable international experiences include performing in the 2018 Toronto Creative Music Lab, winning a position in the Jeune Philharmonie Franco-Allemand for the 2016 season, and in 2014, Ms. Favinger was the double bassist for the Assisi Performing Arts Festival in Assisi, Italy. She has also performed with the Dali String Quartet in Texas and Pennsylvania. As a vocalist, Ms. Favinger has performed in a classical settings, previously with the Paris Choral Society, St. Louis Choir and in Assisi, Italy, as well as in jazz settings. Within the jazz vocal world she has performed accompanying herself on double bass, as a big band soloist, and with her former jazz groups.
As a music historian, Ms. Favinger has researched 20th and 21st century popular music genres, primarily in the United States. She has researched Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, and Hazel Scott in depth. Her master's thesis was a discussion of vernacular Mass settings in the United States following the reforms of the Vatican II Council; the case studies are Mary Lou Williams' Mary Lou's Mass and the mariachi Mass La misa panamericana. Ms. Favinger continues researching the popular genres of American music, such as jazz, Broadway, and the trans-Atlantic migration of popular music and is passionate about combining her love of double bass with her musicological research.
In her free time, Sarah enjoys playing fetch with her cat, Dallas, running as far as she can, baking breads & pastries, reading all things historical, museum wandering, and traveling as much as possible. Sarah also enjoys drinking wine (she holds certifications in WSET Levels 2 & 3) and has worked as a wine buyer in Brooklyn in addition to her musical endeavors. Her home away from Brooklyn is Bethany Beach, Delaware where she loves to spend time with her family.
With a passion for American musical culture and popular genres, Sarah Favinger developed herself as a contemporary musician who embraces where the classical and popular music worlds collide. Influenced early on by jazz, classic rock, and funk, Ms. Favinger has since traveled far and wide to develop her musical skills. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from James Madison University in May of 2012 in Music Performance. In August of 2015 she graduated with a double major Master of Music degree in Double Bass Performance and Music History and Literatures at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. In 2016 she completed a year of intensive study at the International Rabbath Institute Paris with François Rabbath. In Paris, she actively performed in recitals at the Cité Universitaire and around the city as a soloist and in the jazz sphere, including a pair of Kurt Weill concerts with soprano Jennifer Linshield and at jam sessions. Her previous teachers and mentors include: François Rabbath, Sandor Ostlund, Samuel Cross, Adam Hopkins, and Joseph Fischer.
Currently, Ms. Favinger resides in Brooklyn, New York, where she is using her versatility as a player to carve out a space in a competitive musical environment performing on both upright & electric bass. She primarily performs in pit orchestras with theater companies throughout New York City. In 2024, Ms. Favinger was the chair holder and part originator for the Off-Broadway hit FIVE: The Parody Musical and the Off-Broadway run & Original Cast Recording of Empire The Musical. She has also subbed on Broadway for shows such as SIX! Ms. Favinger has performed at respected venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and 54Below, as well as in several New York Musical Festival productions at the Signature Theater. In June 2025, she will be presenting at the International Society of Bassists Convention on how high school & collegiate music ensembles can better prepare students for professional careers as freelance musicians. In collaboration with dancer and choreographer Melani de Guzman, Ms. Favinger composed and premiered several new works for dancer and solo double bass in 2018 and 2019. Since 2020, Sarah has been a member of the pop-punk band PLZ RSPND, which is currently producing their first full length album.
Notable international experiences include performing in the 2018 Toronto Creative Music Lab, winning a position in the Jeune Philharmonie Franco-Allemand for the 2016 season, and in 2014, Ms. Favinger was the double bassist for the Assisi Performing Arts Festival in Assisi, Italy. She has also performed with the Dali String Quartet in Texas and Pennsylvania. As a vocalist, Ms. Favinger has performed in a classical settings, previously with the Paris Choral Society, St. Louis Choir and in Assisi, Italy, as well as in jazz settings. Within the jazz vocal world she has performed accompanying herself on double bass, as a big band soloist, and with her former jazz groups.
As a music historian, Ms. Favinger has researched 20th and 21st century popular music genres, primarily in the United States. She has researched Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, and Hazel Scott in depth. Her master's thesis was a discussion of vernacular Mass settings in the United States following the reforms of the Vatican II Council; the case studies are Mary Lou Williams' Mary Lou's Mass and the mariachi Mass La misa panamericana. Ms. Favinger continues researching the popular genres of American music, such as jazz, Broadway, and the trans-Atlantic migration of popular music and is passionate about combining her love of double bass with her musicological research.
In her free time, Sarah enjoys playing fetch with her cat, Dallas, running as far as she can, baking breads & pastries, reading all things historical, museum wandering, and traveling as much as possible. Sarah also enjoys drinking wine (she holds certifications in WSET Levels 2 & 3) and has worked as a wine buyer in Brooklyn in addition to her musical endeavors. Her home away from Brooklyn is Bethany Beach, Delaware where she loves to spend time with her family.