Conductor and oboist Sara Hancock is served as Interim Music Director at PCLG this Spring but her position recently was made permanent.

A long-time California resident, though having a good chunk of her youth in the Midwest, Hancock received her Bachelor’s degree in Oboe Performance and Master’s degree in Choral and Orchestral Conducting from UC Santa Cruz, where she studied under Dr. Nicole Paiement. Sara first learned to read music at the age of four when she joined the children’s choir at the First Presbyterian
Church of St. Louis in Missouri. Shortly, she began studying piano and after relocating to California in 1990, Sara became active in the music program at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, singing in choir and performing on oboe. As a professional conductor, Sara has 7 years’ experience working with mixed voice choirs and in 2005 co-founded
the UCSC Women’s Chorale. During her years at UCSC, Hancock served as Assistant Conductor to the Opera, Orchestral, and Choral programs.

Since finishing a graduate degree at UCSC in 2006, she has served in many local churches as choir director, conductor and cantor.

In addition to work in churches and university, Hancock has worked with the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, conducted by Maestra Marin Alsop. In her “free” time, Hancock works as Artistic Operations Manager for the El Camino Youth Symphony. She feels extremely blessed to be invited to serve PCLG, where she can combine her passion for music with her Presbyterian faith in an open, friendly, and welcoming environment.