Sara Zacharias was born and raised in the interior Kootenay mountain city of Nelson, British Columbia. She now lives in Vancouver. She has performed in funk bands, jazz bands, top forty bands, and music theatre shows on stages in the western United States as well as Vancouver, Nelson, Kelowna, Victoria, and Montreal. Sara draws on these experiences to put a fresh twist on the jazz classics she loves to sing. In the realm of musical theatre, Sara recently played the leading roles of Annabel in Triptych Theatrical’s production of “Lucky Stiff”, Carla in Applause Musical’s production of “Nine”, and Matilda in SBB Musical Productions workshop performance of “Dregs”. As jazz vocalist and bandleader she performed at the 2002 Montreal International Jazz Festival, the 2002 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, the 2003 Festival Vancouver, and the 2003 Royal City Jazz Festival. She also made her debut on the Orpheum stage as part of the Orpheum’s 75th Anniversary Celebrations in 2002.

Sara began her music studies at Selkirk College in Nelson and was featured on the school’s popular Christmas album. She sang background vocals for Paul Janz and Shari Ulrich when they performed in Nelson. She performed with the popular local band “This Thing” and formed a jazz duo with guitarist Cliff Maddix. During this time she received recognition as an outstanding soloist at the University of Idaho Lionel Hampton/Chevron Jazz Festival.

Sara’s voice next led her to study jazz at Capilano College in North Vancouver. She toured nationally and recorded with Cap Singers under Larz Kario. She was invited to attend Shannon Gun’s Master Class and performed in Corlynn Haney’s prestigious Showcase Performances at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre.

Jazz was her first love but Sara found she had to pursue other, more commercially viable forms of music as well. The next few years after school took Sara wherever opportunities allowed her collaborate with other artists and share her passion for music with an audience. In Vancouver Sara headlined a top-forty band called “Rhythm Nation” and sang leads for the funk band “Global Spirit”. Her first taste of the road was with the American party and convention band, the Pink Flamingos. An extended stint in Kelowna involved jazz trio work for many clubs and restaurants as well as the Kelowna Fringe Festival, the Okanagan Jazz and Blues Society, and the annual Wine Festival. She also sang at fundraisers for the Jazz and Blues Society and the Kelowna Symphony Orchestra. After moving to Victoria Sara performed regularly with the Victoria Operatic Society, including the highly choreographed chorus of “Anything Goes”. She received accolades from the Operatic Society and a community citation from Victoria’s C-Fax radio station for stepping in on the opening night of “Anne of Green Gables” to play Mrs. Pye. This was in addition to her cast role of Mrs. Blewett. She played both roles for the run of the show.

Often we are tempted to compare new singers to those that are already household names, but in Sara’s case this might be difficult. With influences as diverse as Sarah Vaghn, Ernestine Anderson, and Billy Holiday, Sara indeed has a distinctive voice.

Sara looks forward to future opportunities to share her passion for jazz and her love of music. She has said goodbye to day jobs and works full time to realize an international career.