Biography

Sarah Ann Marze is a composer and vocalist who explores the interaction between words and music. She is inspired by words in all forms: poetry, story, mythology, history, journalism and scientific literature. She spent most of her life in small towns in Connecticut in the United States. As such, she believes in the unique power of music to generate and sustain community and belonging. Coming from her vocal background, Sarah is most conscious of the characters, dramatic through-lines and emotional potency in her music. 

Sarah graduated from the University of Connecticut with degrees in Music Composition and Vocal Performance. She was active in undergraduate research, having received a UConn IDEA Grant for her pedagogical songbook project, "Let Us Sing: Contemporary Art Songs for Young Singers.” She is grateful for the opportunities to have her music performed at venues such as the Royal Academy of Music Composers’ Forum, the Leroy Anderson Creative Practice Series, BRACE New Music’s fall season, SongFest 2023, the Collaborative Piano Institute, and the Operation Opera Workshop. Recently, she enjoyed collaborations with players from the CHROMA Ensemble in a side-by-side project, as well as a bespoke collaboration with the Courtauld Gallery and the exhibition of Frank Auerbach's charocoal portraits. Forthcoming, Sarah is leading a new workshop for eighth composers to write for carillon at the Loughborough Tower with carillonist Scott Orr. 

As a prolific performer, Sarah is now building up her arsenal of repertoire and technique with professor Susan Waters. Notably, she performed the role of Eris in a chamber opera she composed with librettist Alize Rozsnyai. Recently, she performed at the Susie Sainsbury Theatre in Toby Anderson's opera Satyrs, and created a cabaret of the songs of Leroy Anderson. She has sung at summer festivals such as SongFest, the Collaborative Piano Institute and the Opera Opera Workshop (at which she was also composing!).  In her free time, Sarah sings with the High Holborn Chamber Choir and the Goldsmiths Choral Union in London. This summer, she is interning as a production assistant on the Waterperry Opera Festival's production of The Barber of Seville. 

Sarah was chosen as a 2023 Marshall Scholar, and is currently studying a Master’s of Music Composition at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England. Her art songs are published by North Star Music after being selected as a winner for the New Voices in Art Song competition.