Sarah Blythe Shapiro

Conductor, composer, and mezzo-soprano Sarah Shapiro trained at the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music (Paul Richard DeLong Prize), receiving her Master of Music in Choral Conducting under the tutelage of Jeffrey Douma, David Hill, and Felicia Barber. Originally from New York City and Chicago, she was brought up in an Episcopal church choir through the Royal School of Church Music program for thirteen years. She later attended St. Olaf College, from which she holds a Bachelor of Music in Education and K-12 teaching license. She currently lives in London and serves as Teacher of Music at St. Mary's School in Ascot, United Kingdom, where she directs the 60 voice flagship ensemble, The Campion Singers.

Prior to her position at St. Mary's School, Sarah held the position of Choir Director at the University Church in Yale, founded in 1757 as the first university congregation in America. At Yale, she also conducted the Yale Recital Chorus and Yale Repertory Chorus, in addition to teaching private conducting lessons. During this time, she also served as Choir Director for the New Haven chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir.

Sarah has worked extensively with choral and orchestral conductors including Simon Carrington, Masaaki Suzuki, Jason Max Ferdinand, Donald Nally, Kenneth Kiesler, Markand Thakar, Anton Armstrong, Therees Hibbard, Gerard Schwarz, José-Luis Novo, Grant Cooper, Marcus Creed, Kent Tritle, Craig Hella Johnson, Allen Hightower, Kristina MacMullen, Timothy Mahr, and Geoffrey Boers. Sarah has participated as a singer and conductor at music programs such as Aspen Music Festival, Sarteano Chamber Choral Conducting Workshop, the Conductors Retreat at Medomak, Cascade Choral Conducting Masterclass, Conducting Programs International, the University of North Texas Choral Conducting Symposium, Amherst Early Music Festival, and most recently Eastern Music Festival, where she participated for five weeks as a Conducting Fellow. Sarah has conducted notable ensembles in performance and masterclass including the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Eastern Festival Orchestra, The Crossing, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and Symphony Tacoma Voices. In 2024, she was selected to participate in the American Choral Directors Association Eastern division graduate conducting masterclass with clinician Jason Max Ferdinand. Sarah is particularly interested in cantatas of the Baroque period, symphonic repertoire of the Romantic period, and English choral music of the 20th century.

Sarah's passion for composition began at the age of twelve when she wrote her first Anglican chant for the choir of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, where she served as Head Chorister for six years under the direction of Andrew Lewis. She has since been named a national finalist for the American Prize in Choral Composition for four of her pieces. Her music has been performed by ensembles such as Yale Recital Chorus, Yale’s Marquand Chapel, St. Olaf Choir, St. Olaf Spiritus Novus, the choir of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and Missouri University of Science and Technology. Sarah's music has been published by Murphy Music Press and is available for purchase on J.W. Pepper, Sheet Music Plus, and Stanton's Sheet Music.

Sarah has sung as both a Soprano and an Alto in choirs for two decades, performing in concert alongside esteemed ensembles such as Seraphic Fire, Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Bella Voce, St. Olaf Choir, Yale Schola Cantorum, and Yale Consort. She has studied voice with Kate Maroney, Tracey Engleman, Kirsten Hedegaard, and Sarah Ponder. She feels equally at home with early and contemporary music and greatly enjoys a diversity of musical genres. In her free time, Sarah enjoys traveling, dancing, horseback riding, tennis, reading, and watching movies.