Sarah Bayens (° 2000) began playing violin at the age of 5. She studied with Koen Rens in Turnhout until she started her professional studies at the Koninklijk Conservatorium van Brussel in the class of Shirly Laub, where she is still studying. Sarah is a versatile musician who wants to deepen her knowledge in as many aspects of classical music as possible (solo, chamber music and orchestra).
In 2019 Sarah won the 'Young Belgian Talent' competition. In 2023 she is part of 'De Twintigers', organized by Radio Klara.
She performed as a soloist with the ORFEO chamber orchestra, and would also have been able to perform as a soloist with the LUCA chamber orchestra and the Leuvens Universitair Symfonisch Orkest, had it not been cancelled due to COVID-19. In February 2023 she performed the violin concerto by Kurt Weill with the orchestra of the Koninklijk Conservatorium van Brussel.
She also received masterclasses from violinists such as Hilary Hahn, Lorenzo Gatto, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Ulf Wallin, Andreas Janke, Alan Brind,... Furthermore, she has been invited to festivals such as Festival Midis-Minimes, Zomer van Sint-Pieter, Musicorum Festival, Festival en Poitou,...
Sarah has played in various chamber music ensembles. Currently she is a member of the piano trio 'Susato Trio', which won first prize in the 'Génération Classique' competition, organized by 'Les Festivals de Wallonie'. The Susato Trio is programmed both nationally and internationally. In chamber music, Sarah has attended masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Guy Danel, Troels Svane, the Prazak Quartet, Jeremy Menuhin, Valeriy Sokolov, Wen-Sinn Yang and others. Sarah also collaborates with recognized ensembles, such as the Trio Fenix or the Alfama Quartet.
Sarah also has extensive orchestra experience. She was concertmaster for a period of two years in the 'Youth Orchestra Flanders', where she performed with conductors such as Stéphane Denève, Edwin Outwater, etc. She occasionally substitutes in Brussels Philharmonic, and in 2021 won the Orkest Academie of the Belgisch Nationaal Orkest and the Orkest van de Munt.