Information About Sarah - Chesham teacher -

(5 reviews)

Personal Description:

Learn to sing in fun and healthy way with an experienced professional opera singer! All ages, levels, and styles are welcome. Both face to face and online lessons available!

I am a professional mezzo soprano with 20 years of performing experience. I have performed on stages around the world from Mexico to Istanbul to English National Opera right here in London. Originally from Canada, I moved to London to complete my masters degree at the Royal College of Music. I have been teaching for fifteen years and am very passionate about my work with amateur singers; it brings me great joy to see the progress my students make as we work towards achieving their goals, whether that is to perform a solo in front of an audience, pass an ABRSM exam, feel more comfortable in choir, or just to sing a little better in the shower. I love the challenges different students bring as we work together to find their voice, and I believe very strongly that everyone can learn to sing!

I have university level theory, aural, and musicianship, and also provide tuition in these areas. I provide ABRSM theory exam preparation as well as tutoring for the aural section of ABRSM practical exams for all instruments.

I usually teach in my home in Chesham, a short walk from the Chesham Metropolitan Line station. I am within easy reach of Amersham, High Wycombe, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead and many other parts of Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. I do sometimes travel to students, although this can be more difficult to arrange and prices are adjusted accordingly.

About my work as a professional singer:
Mezzo Soprano Sarah has been acclaimed for her ‘clarity and assurance’ (Opera Magazine) and heard both on the opera stage and the concert platform in Europe and North America in repertoire spanning four-centuries. Sarah's recent engagements have included Offered in the Time Before in The Handmaid's Tale for Danish Royal Opera, Daisy in ANTHROPOCENE for Scottish Opera, The Lover in Tansy Davies’ BETWEEN WORLDS directed by Deborah Warner for English National Opera, Dorabella COSI FAN TUTTE on tour with Scottish Opera, the role of Elizabeth in the world premiere of Phillip Hagemann’s DARK LADY OF THE SONNETS with Pegasus Opera, Dorotea STIFFELIO for Chelsea Opera Group and Zenobia RADAMISTO at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico.

Sarah has performed as a soloist and recitalist throughout North America, the UK and Europe giving performances with Florilegium, the Britten-Pears Orchestra /Antonello Manacorda, Britten-Pears Baroque Orchestra/Richard Egarr, the San Francisco Early Music Society, at the London Handel Festival, the Tage Alte Musik Regensburg, the Boston Early Music Festival, Festival Montreal Baroque, the Banff Centre and the Aldeburgh Festival. Notable engagements include recitals with the National Arts Centre Orchestra of Canada under Trevor Pinnock, the Little Baroque Company under Laurence Cummings and a staging of Messiaen’s song cycle Harawi directed by Tim Nelson.

Recent and forthcoming engagements include Female Artist LULU for English National Opera; covering Isabella L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI for Garsington Opera, the title-role XERXES, Donna Elvira DON GIOVANNI and Rosina BARBER OF SEVILLE for English National Opera and Brahms Liebeslieder Walzer and Schumann Spanisches Liederspiel in Istanbul.

Tutoring Experience:

I have been teaching privately for fifteen years and I teach all ages from children to adults. I have also taught peripatetic singing lessons at a girls' grammar school and at a large comprehensive. My students have ranged from complete beginner to professional with an age range of 6 to 85 years old. I have helped many students achieve their ABRSM grades as well as prepare for successful auditions.

Singing is great fun! Many people think about singing lessons but are too shy or think they aren't good enough. To those people, I say: Come try it out! Everyone can learn to sing!

I have a DBS certificate.

Tutoring Approach:

I teach singing to all ages and abilities. Although my specialty is classical music, I am happy to work on any style with my students; whether it is musical theatre, classical, or pop, the goal is to learn to sing in a healthy way, to use your voice to its full potential, and to have fun!

Lessons are tailored to the goals and abilities of each individual student. A typical lesson involves vocal exercises to improve technique and breathing, and some work on aural and sight reading skills, but the main focus is applying these new skills to songs we have chosen together. I feel it is important that students love the music they are singing and that there is always joy in the learning.

Singing is great fun! Many people think about singing lessons but are too shy or think they aren't good enough. To those people, I say: Come try it out! Everyone can learn to sing!