Sarah Williamson

Concerto finalist in the BBC Young Musician competition in 2002, Sarah Williamson gave a highly individual performance of the Copland Clarinet Concerto with the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Davis. She then went on to win second prize in the Eurovision Competition for Young Musicians in Berlin, again playing the Copland Concerto, this time with the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marek Janowsky.

At the age of 15 Sarah won a scholarship to the Purcell School of Music to study with David Fuest, simultaneously attending the Junior Department of the Royal Academy of Music. In 2001, Sarah won the Shell LSO Gerald McDonald Award and was awarded the Arthur Frederick Bulgin Medal by The Worshipful Company of Musicians Sarah continued her studies at Le Conservatoire Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris with Pascal Moragučs, principal clarinettist of the Orchestre de Paris, Jean-Francois Verdier and Olivier Derbesse, graduating with the Premier Prix and a ‘Laureate’, the highest honour. Sarah has toured the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia (British Council), USA, Ireland, the Channel Islands and Spain. She has performed at festivals across the UK, and made her debuts at Wigmore Hall and South Bank Centre. Currently based in Britain, Sarah continues to play regularly in France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Switzerland, with a debut performance at the Tonhalle, Zurich.

Sarah is active in the field of contemporary music: she has championed the music of Edward Longstaff who has written for her 'Prelude' and 'Nocturne' both premiered on BBC Radio 3, plus a Clarinet Concerto (premiered in 2003). She has worked with Phillip Grange and recorded his clarinet concerto 'Sheng Sheng Bu Shi' with the National Youth Wind Ensemble, with a CD released in early 2007. Highlights of 2006 included appearances with Orchestra of the Swan, Orchestra of St John’s and the BBC Concert Orchestra (broadcast live), a lunchtime concert in the Wigmore Hall plus a performance in Madrid. 2007 has seen a performance of the Nielsen concerto with the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra and Sarah’s future schedule includes concerts with the Sacconi, Doric and Carducci Quartets as well as performances in Portugal, Ireland and throughout the UK. She is currently the recipient of the Tillett Trust and Kirkman Concert Society Awards.