Sarah Thurlow
Sarah Thurlow was born in Bromley, Kent, and studied at the Royal College of Music in London with Robert Hill and Michael Harris, performing concertos with the Philharmonia and BBC Concert Orchestra whilst still a student.
After further study in London with Andrew Marriner, she attended the Aspen International Music School, USA, thanks to an English Speaking Union Scholarship. She was awarded the RCM’s Mills Williams Junior Fellowship in 1998, which enabled her to continue her studies with Hans Deinzer in Italy, and to create the ensemble Contemporary Consort, which has appeared regularly at Festivals in the UK since 2001.
Sarah has performed more than fifty recitals for music clubs and societies in the UK with pianist Nigel Clayton, with whom she appeared at the Purcell Room, St John’s Smith Square, and Bridgewater Hall, as well as recording graded exam pieces for the ABRSM. Sarah now works as an orchestral clarinettist, including with the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the BBC Concert Orchestra. Sarah began freelancing with the London Symphony Orchestra in 2001, and was lucky enough to play on the soundtracks of Star Wars Episode II and two of the Harry Potter films, as well as performing in London concerts and on tour in Europe, the USA and Asia. Sarah has been a member of the Orchestra of Glyndebourne on Tour since 2009, and is a founder member of London Serenata.
Sarah began playing historical clarinets whilst studying with Michael Harris at the RCM and, thanks to his guidance and a loan from the College, she bought her first instruments in 1994. She has performed with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment since 2000 and was appointed Sub-Principal Clarinet in December 2023. She has also performed with The Hanover Band, Instruments of Time and Truth, and the Gabrieli Consort.