TMA149 Members

Sandra Pearson, Assistant Principal Librarian of the New York Philharmonic, retired at the end of the 2019-20 season to study Archives and Records Management at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information, and she is a Substitute Librarian for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. She received her B.M. in bassoon performance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a student of Richard Lottridge, and earned a Master of Music in bassoon performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying with William Winstead. Her previous professional affiliations have included the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra.

She was the Acting Assistant Principal Librarian for the New York Philharmonic during the 1998-99 season and then hired by Music Director Kurt Masur in July 1999. She was Acting Principal Librarian for the New York Philharmonic’s European Tour in September of 2005, and is the only person to have had the official title of Librarian for the Boston Pops. She has worked not just classical artists, but with a diverse group of composers, performers and celebrities, such as John Williams, John DeLancie, Cab Calloway, Conan O’Brien, F. Murray Abraham, Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Mel Torme, The Manhattan Transfer, The Flying Karamazov Brothers and Doc Severinsen, and many others. Ms. Pearson enjoys sharing her love of music through various public speaking opportunities which have included patron tours and speaking onstage during New York Philharmonic subscription and other chamber music concerts.

Ms. Pearson has extensive music librarian and music preparation experience on more than 150 recording and television projects, including the recording sessions for the Oscar-winning motion picture Saving Private Ryan. Other interests include playing chamber music, sculling, kayaking, hiking, reading and cooking. She has done volunteer work for New York Cares, Planned Parenthood, the ASPCA and the Humane Societies.

Ms. Pearson has also contributed her skill sets to the Major Orchestra Librarian’s Association as Member At Large, member of the Archives and Website committees, and served two terms as its first Editor in Chief for Marcato. Besides being a member of TMA Local 149, she is also a member of the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, A.F.M. Local 802 in New York City.