Alum Sarah Wald (Ph.D., composition/theory, ‘21) recently was awarded the first place prize in Vox Musica’s Composition Competition for her piece Healing. The work was composed for SSAA choir, duduk, khamanche, and glass harp and was performed as part of a concert, “Project Three,” exploring themes of renewal and healing through music.

Vox Musica is a professional-level women’s vocal ensemble that presents innovative concert projects that perpetuate the stories of our community and beyond. Their mission is to engage and educate our audience through multi-media collaborative experiences. 

Over the past several years, Wald’s music has been featured at various festivals and other programs, including the nief-norf Summer Music Festival, the Brevard Music Center, the TALIS Festival, the Oregon Bach Festival, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the SPLICE Institute, the Sofia Symphonic Summit, and the Composers Conference. Her work was also performed at Sävellyspaja in Finland and has been featured on radio stations such as WFMT (Relevant Tones), CJSR, and the EDME Radio Hour.  Wald’s pieces have been published by Bachovich Music Publications, Imagine Music Publishing, Arcomusical, and Dulcamara Press. 

She currently teaches composition, music theory, and musicianship at Sacramento State. She also teaches online courses in music history and literature at Cosumnes River College. Her current composition projects include a chamber opera, Empress Matilda, and a suite for Baroque quartet.