Sarah Smith

 

Sarah is a busy freelance clarinetist based in London. Recent concerts highlights include recording with the period orchestra Archangelo for the record label Hyperion and her debut with Britten Sinfona at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in a production of Gerald Barry's 'The Importance of being Earnest'. Sarah also made her solo debut with the Ulster Orchestra performing works by Weber and Donizetti.

 

As a chamber musician and soloist, Sarah has performed throughout the UK and Europe. She has played in many of the UK's most prestigious venues including the Barbican Centre, the Royal Festival Hall, St Martin-in-the-Field and Kings Place. An active chamber musician, Sarah is a founding member of the Siskin Trio with whom she has performed live on BBC Radio Ulster and Bulgarian national Television and Radio. Sarah is also a member of DeNOTE Wind, a chamber group specialising on period instruments, who in 2013 performed in the opening concert of Canterbury Music Festival.

 

Born and educated in Belfast, Sarah went on to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London where she graduated receiving First Class Honours in her BMus (2011) and a Distinction in her MMus (2012). At the Guildhall, Sarah studied with Andrew Mariner, Joy Farrall, Jane Booth and Andrew Webster. She is extremely grateful to The Kathleen Trust and The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers for making her studies possible.

 

In 2007 Sarah was the inaugural winner of the Bank of Ireland's Catherine Judge Memorial award. She is also the recipient of a RPO Sir John Barbarolli Award, the English Speaking Union Menuhin Banff Scholarship and a Northern Ireland Arts Council travel bursary. In 2011 Sarah was selected as a participant of the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra Wind Academy. In 2013 she was selected for the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment's Experience Scheme and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's Young Musicians Platform Award.

 

Sarah currently lives in London with her husband, composer Samuel Quartermaine Smith. Samuel has written a number of solo and chamber works for clarinet, which Sarah has premiered.