SARAH J. COLES

Sarah J. Coles (1967-) is a Canadian composer based in Cambridge, Ontario. At Wilfrid Laurier University, Sarah studied composition with Boyd MacDonald, Peter Hatch, and Glenn Buhr. She later continued her studies in Brandon, Manitoba with Pat Carrabre. Composition was slow for a number of years while Sarah raised three children, and she still considers her career to be at the ‘emerging’ stage. She holds a Bachelor of Music in composition from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Music from Western University.

Sarah is also a multi-instrumentalist, teacher, artist, and writer. Her experience playing saxophone with big bands has brought a jazz influence into her composition, which she plans to expand on.

Sarah’s creative endeavour of landscape oil painting has raised an interest in combining visual art with music through installation projects. Her music is often influenced by natural phenomena; landscapes, storms, bodies of water, and emotional journeys.

Her compositions for choirs, bands, and chamber groups have been performed in the US, Canada, and England.