Sean O'Hara

Bassist Sean O’Hara joined the San Diego Symphony in May 2026. A Bay Area native, Sean’s orchestral journey began as a member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra in 2010 and came full circle when he played the 2025-26 season with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. He was previously a tenured member of the Fort Worth Symphony for two seasons and has performed regularly with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony. He has also appeared with the Houston Symphony, Oregon Symphony, San Francisco Ballet Orchestra and New World Symphony.

A product of California public schools, Sean holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA and an Artist Diploma from Cal State Fullerton. He went on to earn his Master’s Degree from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. His primary teachers are Chris Hanulik, Timothy Pitts and Brian Johnson. Some of his most cherished musical memories include summers abroad performing with the Schleswig-Holstein and Verbier Festival Orchestras. He has also attended the Aspen Music Festival and Tanglewood Music Center.

During his time away from the orchestra, Sean can be found at the cinema, the ballpark, or enjoying a pint of Guinness and playing traditional Irish music at the pub. A 10-month stint away from music in 2021 found him proudly walking the streets of his hometown delivering mail for the U.S. Postal Service.

Sean O’Hara plays a beautiful modern bass crafted by Trevor Davis.