Sarah Roberts, saxophonist

A native of Fort Madison, Iowa, Sarah Roberts made her soloist debut at the age of seventeen with the Southeast Iowa Symphony performing Henri Tomasi’s Concerto for saxophone and orchestra. The following year she was a featured soloist with the Des Moines Symphony in Des Moines, Iowa; and the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan. In 2008, Ms. Roberts made her European debut after she was invited to perform with the Juilliard School’s AXIOM Ensemble on their Beyond the Machine 7.0 – The Eye/Ear Collaboration concert at the Tanhalle in Zurch, Switzerland.

With an extremely diverse background in jazz and classical music, Ms. Roberts can be heard on recordings with the University of North Texas Wind Symphony and the Two O’Clock Lab Band. In addition to many university ensembles, Ms. Roberts has had an active free lance career in Michigan and Texas performing with a gamut of ensembles ranging from new music groups, to rock bands, to jazz groups and all points in between. Currently, she is a tenor saxophonist in Urban Renewal, a band dedicated to the music of Tower of Power.

While finishing her master’s degrees at the University of North Texas, Ms. Roberts was a founding member and baritone saxophonist of the North Texas Saxophone Quartet. In addition to many recitals and community performances, the group was a national finalist in the Music Teacher’s National Association Chamber Music competition in 2007 and 2008. In addition to chamber music competitions, Ms. Roberts has also competed in several soloist competitions. In 2005, she was the first place winner of the Senior Non-Bowed Instrument Division of the Kingsville Competition held in Kingsville, Texas. Additionally, in 2010 Ms. Roberts was selected to participate in the 5th International Adolphe Sax Competition held in Dinant, Belgium; and placed third in the International Saxophone Competition held in Paris, France.

Currently, Ms. Roberts is completing coursework for a doctorate of musical arts degree in saxophone performance under the instruction of Dr. Eric Nestler. While a graduate at the University of North Texas, Ms. Roberts was a Teaching Assistant for the Jazz Studies department as director of the Nine O’Clock Lab Band in 2010-2011, and from 2007-2010, she held a Teaching Fellowship as an instructor of classical saxophone where her responsibilities included weekly lessons with undergraduate performance, music education, and jazz studies majors and coaching saxophone quartets. In addition to her responsibilities at North Texas, Ms. Roberts had been an extremely active music instructor and clinician in the North Dallas area since 2004. In 2010 she became the conductor of the Pioneer Heritage Middle School jazz band, The Pioneers of Jazz; and the Frisco High School Jazz Ensemble.

In January 2010, Ms. Roberts was hired as an adjunct professor at Tarrant County College where she teaches private saxophone and piano lessons, in addition to music appreciation. Moreover, she was the Saxophone Instructor for the Michigan All-State Program Saxophone Workshop held at Interlochen, Michigan from 2002-2005 and the Saxophone Coach for the Michigan All-State Program Concert Band also held at Interlochen, Michigan from 2003-2005.

Ms. Roberts holds dual masters of music degrees in saxophone performance and jazz studies from the University of North Texas and dual bachelors’ degrees in saxophone performance and jazz studies from the University of Michigan. She has studied with Donald Sinta, Donald Walden, Eric Nestler, Jim Riggs, Jean-Marie Londeix, Jean-Francious Guy, Joseph Lulloff, Kelland Thomas, Steve Weist, Paris Rutherford, and John Vana.