The word unusual springs to mind when looking at Sarah Willis’ resume, from her choice of instrument to her career path and her position as the first female horn player with the Berlin Philharmonic. Together with young musicians from Cuba, she combines the sounds and rhythms of the Caribbean island with elements of European classical music – at the 2024 Musikfest Bremen, the Sarahbanda transformed the courtyard of Nord/LB (now Forum am Domshof) into a Cuban salsa party. Together with the Havana Lyceum Orchestra, she created the popular »Mozart y Mambo« project.

Born in the US and raised in Tokyo, Boston, Moscow and London, Willis studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London and with Fergus McWilliam in Berlin. From 1991 to 2001 she was a member of the Staatskapelle Berlin under amongst others Daniel Barenboim and in 2001 she became the first female horn player at the Berlin Philharmonic under Simon Rattle. Sarah Willis has performed with many leading orchestras and has performed as a soloist and chamber musician all over the world. As well as her work with the orchestra and her masterclasses, she has recorded various acclaimed albums including the Brahms Horn Trio, »Horn Discoveries«, the Rosetti Double Concertos as well as the much celebrated albums »Opera!« and »Four Corners!« with the Berlin Philharmonic Horns. Her solo album »Mozart y Mambo« was recorded in Havana in January 2020. It went straight to number 1 in the classical charts and also reached the pop and Latino charts. The accompanying video has been viewed over 10 million times online.

Sarah Willis teaches at the Berlin Philharmonic’s Karajan academy and creates and presents the orchestra’s family concerts. For her contributions to classical music she was made an MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire – in 2021.