Sausan Schmidt Hussein was born in Maribor, Slovenia into a multicultural family of intellectuals.
Having Slovenian, German, Syrian and Armenian ancestors, her roots significantly influenced both her personal and artistic development. Growing up in a vibrant multicultural environment, enriched by diverse perspectives, her artistic journey was profoundly shaped.
She began her formal musical path at the age of seven at the State Music and Ballet School in her hometown and continued at the State Conservatory of Music and Ballet Maribor at the age of fourteen, with additional supervision from professor Gorjan Košuta (Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln). After obtaining her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in violin performance with distinction (Magna Cum Laude) from Music Academy of University of Zagreb, she furthered her education in Rome, Italy where she completed an advanced postgraduate programme in violin performance and chamber music with professor Marco Fiorentini and Ars Trio di Roma (2012-2015) and orchestral performance specialisation in Parma under the guidance of Stefano Pagliani, former Concertmaster of La Scala Milano.
Throughout her studies, she received numerous awards in the disciplines of Violin, Chamber Music and Solfege at the national and international competitions for young musicians (Venice, Belgrade, Rome, Udine, Zagreb,...).
Between 2003 and 2013, Sausan was a stipendist of the Zois Fund for talented students and promotion of their career.
Several internationally renowned mentors additionally shaped her artistic journey, just to name a few: Pierre Amoyal, Stefan Milenkovich, Gorjan Kosuta, Wolfgang Redik, Catherine Mackintosh, Orest Shourgot, Dora Schwarzberg, Konstantin Bogino, Elena Denisova, Pierre Qhuereb, Michael Flaksmann....
Her artistic growth has also been significantly influenced by participation in several international projects such as Le vie dell'Amicizia under the baton of maestro Riccardo Muti, the IOIA project of the Vienna Philharmonics, opening of Berliner Philharmonie season 2016/17 with SEPO, Klara Festival 2016 with Belgian National Symphony Orchestra along with her experiences as a concertmaster and soloist of the Symphony Orchestra of the Zagreb Music Academy, AIM Roma Orchestra, the International Orchestra of the Arsana Music Festival. Next to that, she strongly collaborated with the Slovene National Theatre Symphony Orchestra, I Musici di Parma Symphony Orchestra, Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra and I Virtuosi di Aquileia Chamber Orchestra.
Near the end of her studies, Sausan took up the position of Head of Strings at the Music and Ballet Institute in Maribor. During her first years of teaching violin and chamber music, her students won more than fifty awards at national and international competitions for young musicians in Italy, Germany, Slovenia, Serbia, The Netherlands, Sweden and Croatia (Premio Salieri Verona, Musica Insieme Venice, Leon Pfeifer Ljubljana, Premio Crescendo Firenze, Young Virtuoso Zagreb, Muziekstraat Amsterdam, The North Competition, National Music Competition Slovenia,…).
With a track record of international success, she has expanded her reach to work on a global scale, imparting her knowledge to young musicians hailing from 17 different countries at the British Music Academy of Doha College in Qatar.
Alongside her teaching endeavors, she remains an active performer, spearheading numerous independent artistic projects, backed by esteemed cultural institutions nationally and abroad. Through these ventures, she delves into subjects of social relevance, uniting artists from around the world and blending various art disciplines to inspire, provoke thought and evoke emotions in audiences.
Her artistic pursuits are driven by a passion for creativity, innovation, and positive change through art, with a particular focus on expanding the boundaries of classical music.
She frequently collaborates with renowned international artists, orchestras, and chamber ensembles across the globe, participating in festivals and engaging in interdisciplinary projects that ignite inspiration. Her active involvement as a performer, educator, and cultural manager fuels her artistic growth and fosters the development of fresh creative ideas.
Sausan is the founder and artistic director of the newly established Mladi Mariborski Solisti Chamber Ensemble.