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The American conductor, composer, and mezzo-soprano, Sarah Blythe Shapiro, hailing from New York City and Chicago, was brought up in an Episcopal church choir through the Royal School of Church Music program for 13 years. She later attended St. Olaf College, from which she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Music Education (Class of 2022). She has studied voice with Kate Maroney, Tracey Engleman, Kirsten Hedegaard, and Sarah Ponder.
Sarah Shapiro's love for conducting first began when her beloved high school choir director, Tim Estberg, tragically passed away. When her choral program organized a celebration concert in his memory, she decided to conduct Moses Hogan’s Elijah Rock (one of Tim’s favorite pieces) and recruited 40 of her peers. After that performance, she never looked back. She obtained her Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting from the Yale School of Music and Institute of Sacred Music (Paul Richard DeLong Prize); Class of 2024), where she studied with Jeffrey Douma, David Hill, and Felicia Barber. She has also worked extensively with choral and orchestral conductors including Simon Carrington, Kenneth Kiesler, Markand Thakar, Masaaki Suzuki, Jason Max Ferdinand, Donald Nally, Anton Armstrong, Therees Hibbard, Gerard Schwarz, José-Luis Novo, Grant Cooper, Marcus Creed, Kent Tritle, Craig Hella Johnson, Allen Hightower, Kristina MacMullen, Timothy Mahr, and Geoffrey Boers.
Sarah Shapiro has participated as a singer and conductor at music programs such as Aspen Music Festival (August-September 2019), Sarteano Chamber Choral Conducting Workshop (July 2023), Conductors Retreat at Medomak, Cascade Choral Conducting Masterclass (June-July 2023); Conducting Programs International; University of North Texas Choral Conducting Symposium; and Amherst Early Music Festival; Conducting Scholar at Eastern Music Festival (since June 2024). She has conducted notable ensembles in performance and master-class including the Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Eastern Festival Orchestra, The Crossing, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, and Symphony Tacoma Voices. In 2024, she was selected to participate in the American Choral Directors Association Eastern division graduate conducting master-class with clinician Jason Max Ferdinand. She is particularly interested in cantatas of the Baroque period, symphonic repertoire of the Romantic period, and English choral music of the 20th century. She recently named a National Finalist for the 2025 American Prize in Conducting (Dale Warland Award),
Sarah Shapiro has been Head Chorister at St. Luke's Episcopal Church Evanston (December 2012-June 2018); Choir Director at River Hills United Methodist Church (2019-2020); Music Director of Ole Ave Vocal Jazz (August 2019-May 2022); Choir Director at The University Church in Yale (August 2023-May 2024), founded in 1757 as the first university congregation in America. At Yale, she also conducted the Yale Recital Chorus and Yale Repertory Chorus, in addition to teaching private conducting lessons. During this time, she also served as Choir Director for the New Haven chapter of HaZamir: The International Jewish Teen Choir. She currently lives in London and serves as Teacher of Music at St. Mary's School in Ascot, UK (since June 2024), where she directs the 60 voice flagship ensemble, The Campion Singers.
Sarah Shapiro's passion for composition began at the age of 12 when she wrote her first Anglican chant for the choir of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, where she served as Head Chorister for six years under the direction of Andrew Lewis (December 2012-June 2018). She has since been named a national finalist for the American Prize in Choral Composition for four of her pieces. Her music has been performed by ensembles such as Yale Recital Chorus, Yale’s Marquand Chapel, St. Olaf Choir, St. Olaf Spiritus Novus, the choir of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, and Missouri University of Science and Technology. Her music has been published by Murphy Music Press and is available for purchase on J.W. Pepper, Sheet Music Plus, and Stanton's Sheet Music.
Sarah Shapiro has sung as both a Soprano and an Alto in choirs for two decades, performing in concert alongside esteemed ensembles such as Seraphic Fire (Director: Patrick Dupré Quigley), Danish National Vocal Ensemble, Bella Voce, St. Olaf Choir, Yale Schola Cantorum, and Yale Consort. She feels equally at home with early and contemporary music and greatly enjoys a diversity of musical genres. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, dancing, horseback riding, tennis, reading, and watching movies. |
