Hailed by The Times as "a player of real charisma", the saxophonist Sarah James is an award winning graduate of London's Royal Academy of Music, including receiving the Final Recital Award for two consecutive years, and achieving the Dip RAM - the Academy's highest award for performance - for her joint final recital on both the saxophone and the clarinet. Sarah was subsequently awarded the 2000 RAM Meaker Fellowship. The same year, Sarah made her critically acclaimed Purcell Room recital debut for the Park Lane Group Concert Series. Further competition and award success includes: RAM Wigmore Award KPMG Martin Musical Trust Kirckman Concert Society Manchester Midday Concerts Society Australian Music Competition Royal Overseas League International Competition (Finalist) Countess of Munster Musical Trust Hattori Foundation Fresh! South Bank Young Musicians Series Sarah has given many recitals throughout the UK and beyond, including London's Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall, the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, for the British Saxophone Congress, live on BBC Radio 3 for In Tune and Late Junction, on Classic Fm, at the BBC Proms, at the Banff International Festival in Canada, and on both ABC Australia and South African SABC television and radio. She has commissioned and premiered a number of new works for saxophone by composers including Joe Duddell, Philip Cashian, Rhian Samuel and Nigel Wood. TEACHING Sarah has almost 20 years experience teaching a wide variety of instruments and styles from beginners to Diploma level. Current and former students have performed with the National Youth Orchestra and Wind Orchestra of Great Britain, and have achieved places - including scholarships - at major UK conservatoires. Soloist and chamber music Masterclasses given include the University of Massachusetts, the University of South Africa and closer to home at Trinity Laban College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Sarah is an external examiner and panellist for Trinity Laban, Guildhall and the Royal Academy of Music. In January 2013 Sarah was appointed Saxophone tutor at the Junior department of Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Sarah also teaches saxophone at Highgate School. Prior to this, Sarah taught at the Junior department of Birmingham Conservatoire for 5 years, and at a number of leading independent schools, including Bedales, the Lady Eleanor Holles School, North London Collegiate School, Warwick and Kingston Universities and the Haberdashers Askes School. Sarah has been invited to coach for many courses including the Manchester Single Reed Summer School, Berkshire Maestros, and both the National Youth Saxophone Ensemble and the National Youth Wind Ensemble of Great Britain. More recently Sarah was invited to perform in a series of primary school workshops with members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra. Please contact Sarah for consultation enquiries. DBS checked.
