Sarah Jeffery

Recorder professor specialising in contemporary music

Sarah Jeffery is one of the world’s foremost promoters of the recorder, and a passionate champion of contemporary music.

After graduating cum laude from her master studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam under the tuition of Jorge Isaac and Walter van Hauwe, Sarah now regularly collaborates with composers and theatre makers, and has premiered dozens of new works on stages worldwide. She began her musical studies at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire under Ross Winters and Annabel Knight, graduating first class.

Alongside a busy solo career, Sarah has toured with ensembles from experimental pop band Jerboah to recorder Trio aXolot, the Renaissance consort The Royal Wind Music. Her debut solo CD Constellations was released in 2018, for which she gained rare permission from Steve Reich to arrange his work Vermont Counterpoint for recorders. Sarah has performed on global stages such as hcmf//, Berliner Festspiele, Venice Biennale, Gaudeamus Festival, Neu/Now Glasgow, São Paulo Recorder Marathon, Korkyra Baroque Festival, and Sonorities Belfast.

Competition successes include 1st prize and the contemporary music prize at the Nordhorn International Recorder Competition, contemporary music prize at the ORDA recorder competition, and the Talent Boven Water prize at the Grachtenfestival. Her master research was also generously funded by a Leverhulme Trust award.

A dedicated pedagogue, Sarah has built up eighteen years of teaching experience at every level, including masterclasses at conservatoires and festivals worldwide. Sarah founded her popular YouTube channel Team Recorder in 2015, in an effort to make music education more accessible. One of the most recognizable resources for recorder, the channel has amassed over 170,000 loyal subscribers, and has worked in partnership with global brands such as Netflix, Yamaha, and ABRSM. Sarah has now developed this business into sheet music publications, online courses, and multiple live events.

Sarah co-ordinates the biannual ORDA Teachers Conference in Amsterdam, and can be found giving lectures at a range of education conferences, including MERYC and the Utrecht Early Music Festival. She also has written for music publications such as Tempo, Primephonic, and Blokfluitist magazine, where she long formed part of the editorial team.

Off-stage, she is recognized as an expert on the instrument and a consummate professional presenter whether on Radio 3, discussing music education with Jeremy Vine on Radio 2, starring on CBeebies, or producing books for major publishers. She was recently appointed Honorary Vice President of the Society of Recorder Players in the UK, for her services to the music community.

Faculties / departments: Historical Performance