Biography

Sarah Irvin is a rising jazz saxophonist and woodwind doubler currently located in Pittsburgh, PA. Growing up in central Pennsylvania, Sarah was very active in the musical community around her. Sarah started saxophone at the age of nine and started to develop an interest in jazz when she was twelve. Sarah’s passion for music intensified once she started jazz and she became involved in every musical opportunity that came her way. In high school, Sarah was active in jazz combo, big band, marching band, concert band, choir, musicals, and PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) festivals. 

 

In 2018 Sarah graduated from East Juniata High School and decided to continue her musical journey at West Chester University of Pennsylvania with a degree in jazz performance. Sarah studied under saxophonist and composer Jonathan Ragonese during her time at WCU. At WCU Sarah was an active member in Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI), a women’s musical fraternity focused on the advancement of women in music. In 2022 Sarah was the recipient of SAI’s Triennial Jazz Performance Award. Sarah attributes much of her interest in activism for women in jazz from her time in the fraternity. After graduating with a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Performance and a Minor in Music Production, Sarah decided to continue her education by attending San Diego State University (SDSU) to pursue a Masters of Music in Jazz Studies. 

 

At SDSU Sarah made great strides towards her music career. Sarah was a Graduate Assistant and an Administrative Assistant for the jazz department. Sarah worked on achieving a high level of excellence on all saxophones as well as developing her woodwind doubling abilities while working with saxophonists Christopher Hollyday and Dr. Brian Levy. Sarah graduated with her Masters of Music in Jazz Studies in the spring of 2024.

 

Sarah was active in the San Diego jazz scene. Sarah was a member of the Garza 6, a group that performs jazz standards and Brazilian influenced music. Sarah is also a founding member of Decades, a group created by Dr. N Scott Robinson dedicated to the performance of uncommon jazz repertoire and original music.

 

Sarah feels very passionate about gender equity in the jazz genre. As a woman in jazz, Sarah feels that advocacy and activism is key to making the jazz community a more inclusive space for everyone. Her thoughts on activism were strengthened when she was a mentee in the Women in Jazz Organization (WIJO) mentorship program. Sarah was mentored by saxophonist Virginia Mayhew from 2019-2020. This activism inspired her to dedicate the research portion of her masters degree to gender performance in women instrumentalists during jazz improvisation. As she moves forward in her career, Sarah hopes to continue being a voice for women in jazz.