Persian musician Sarah Shodja specializes in the recorder and was one of the first women in Iran to play the recorder in concert halls. In 2017, Sarah was awarded a full scholarship to study with Gwyn Roberts at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Historical Performance. 

In addition to her solo performances, Sarah is a sought-after collaborator, having worked with the Baltimore Baroque Band, Peabody Renaissance Ensemble, Washington Bach Consort, Tempesta Di Mare, and Peabody Recorder consort. She also established a recorder consort, Tehran Recorder Atelier, along with three of her women recorder-playing colleagues. Other past engagements include performances with Shargh Chamber Orchestra and Pars Recorder Orchestra in her home country.

As a Peabody student, she performed at Early Music America’s Young Performer’s Festival at the Bloomington Early Music Festival and the Conciertos de la Villa de Santo Domingo Festival in the Dominican Republic. She was also a member of the Indianapolis Early Music Festival Band and performed the “Marginalia” program in 2021. In the summer of 2022, she became a faculty member of Mountain Collegium. She, along with her colleague Teresa Deskur, founded the Fanfare Youth Recorder Club for young recorder players around the world during the pandemic. Sarah also has experience playing jazz music and has collaborated in two published contemporary albums. She is an enthusiastic advocate for the recorder and uses her platform to spread the beauty and versatility of this instrument and inspire others to appreciate it as well.