Bio
Sarah Parker is a contemporary concert music composer and saxophonist whose music contemplates patient stillness and explosive chaos. Her blending of subtle textures with raw emotional intensity creates an intricate sound world shaped by keen auditory observations. Described as “imaginative” and “nicely out of the box”, her conceptual writing explores themes of nature, attention activism, perception, memory, and the analysis and manipulation of real-life sonic phenomena. She has composed for wind ensemble, orchestra, piano, string quartet, and numerous contemporary chamber ensembles. Her music has been performed by SPLICE, Sound Icon, the New Composer’s String Quartet, the Berklee Contemporary Symphony Orchestra, and the Berklee Symphonic Winds.
Her newest piece, so many warnings of an eternal future draws parallels between sonic interruptions noted in Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s historic memoirs to the ever-present distractions of our time. This electroacoustic saxophone quartet is part of her exploration of music as resistance against the attention economy. Sarah believes that by choosing what to listen to and committing for the entire duration of a piece, we can reclaim our attention and turn it towards things that give us deeper meaning.
Her approach to the saxophone is fueled by a sense of openness, experimentation, and a passion for ultra-gritty multiphonics. She has over a decade of experience performing in wind ensembles, marching bands, and chamber groups, and regularly performs new works by living composers.
Sarah is pursuing her M.M. in Composition at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where she studies with composer Sky Macklay. Sarah earned a B.M. in Composition from the Berklee College of Music, where she studied with Marti Epstein and Nomi Epstein. While at Berklee, Sarah was awarded the Amy Beach Composition Award.
She is also a former competitive dog show handler, self-proclaimed bad meditator, avid meanderer, kayaker, vegan-food enjoyer, and nature enthusiast. She is based in Baltimore, MD.
Photo by Britt Olsen-Ecker
