Sean Radermacher inspires musicians and audiences of all ages as a conductor, educator, and violinist, championing a diverse representation of music and performers. A versatile musician, Sean combines an engaging collaborative sensibility with a passion for education.

As Assistant Conductor with the Erie Philharmonic, Sean contributes as cover conductor with world-class artists in symphonic, pops, and educational programs. Sean has engaged in nationally recognized festivals as Associate Conductor with Sunflower Music Festival and Assistant Conductor with the Lakeside Symphony Orchestra, Buzzards Bay Musicfest, and Sault Ste. Marie Opera. In addition to conducting duties, he has performed as a violinist in each orchestra.

Sean serves as Director of Orchestral Studies at Slippery Rock University. He frequently collaborates with music faculty in community-building and recruitment-boosting performances, such as Music Major for a Day and Honors Orchestra events. He also connects student musicians with professional orchestras across the region through rehearsal observations.

Sean regularly performs as Guest Conductor with the Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra. With PYCO, Sean also coaches violin and conducts community outreach performances, partnering with Violins of Hope, Carnegie Libraries, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre.

In summer music festivals, Sean has collaborated with musicians of the Czech Philharmonic, Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic, Constanta State Opera (Romania), New Symphony Orchestra (Bulgaria), Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Cleveland Pops, Prague Summer Nights Orchestra, and Monteux Festival Orchestra. At the Monteux Festival, Sean studied with Michael Jinbo, Tiffany Lu, Arthur Fagen, Julius Williams, Hugh Wolff, Kenneth Kiesler, and Markand Thakar. He has participated in numerous masterclasses led by Larry Rachleff and Donald Schleicher.

Sean earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Kentucky, where he served as conductor and instructor of the UK Philharmonia. His dissertation, A History of Educational Concerts of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, is available through UK’s UKnowledge database.

At the University of Kentucky, Sean persistently championed music by women and people of color, contributing to a multi-season project of over a dozen works by contemporary women composers. He collaborated with top international artists such as composer Salina Fisher and violinist Jennifer Koh, performing numerous Kentucky and world premieres. In the Lexington community, Sean conducted the Central Kentucky Youth Orchestras as a guest clinician, taught violin at Central Music Academy, and served on the staff of the Chamber Music Festival of Lexington.

Sean earned a Master of Music in orchestral conducting at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Carl Topilow. He earned Bachelor (summa cum laude) and Master degrees in violin performance from Duquesne University, where he studied with Charles and Rachel Stegeman.

An active orchestral violinist, Sean has performed with the Erie Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Orchestra, Lexington Chamber Orchestra, Festival Orchestra Napa, Prague Summer Nights Orchestra, and the Butler County, Firelands, Lakeside, Westmoreland, Wheeling, and Youngstown Symphony Orchestras.

Sean is a frequent participant and avid fan of the classical music scene in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Sean enjoys exploring visual art, world cultures, and languages, with proficiency in Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Italian, and Latin.