Sean O’Hara was born in St. Louis, Missouri and began playing the bass during the fifth grade.  He earned his Bachelor of Music degree at The Juilliard School where he studied with noted double bass pedagogue Homer Mensch. Following graduation, Sean spent three years in Miami as a member of the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.  In 2009, he was awarded a Master of Music degree from Carnegie Mellon University. A member of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra since 2012, Sean has also performed with the symphony orchestras of St. Louis, Kansas City, Detroit, and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.  During the summers, he has been a regular member of the Artosphere Festival and has served as principal bass of the Missouri Symphony’s Hot Summer Nights Festival since 2013. Other festival appearances include the Verbier Festival Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, and National Orchestral Institute.  For two summers, Sean served as principal bass of the Castleton Festival Orchestra under the direction of Lorin Maazel. In addition to performing with the Memphis Symphony, Sean has been active in community engagement through the Memphis Music Initiative and various MSO outreach programs.  He is currently pursuing a DMA at the University of Memphis under the guidance of John Chiego.