Sarah Thurlow was born in Bromley in Kent and studied at the Royal College of Music, making her concerto debut with the Philharmonia whilst still a student.  In 1996 she graduated with a first class honours degree and reached the national final of the BBC Radio Two Young Musician Competition.  After further study at the RCM she won a scholarship to attend the Aspen Music School in Colorado, and she went on to study with the German clarinettist, Hans Deinzer, in Italy.

Sarah has performed widely with her duo partner, pianist Nigel Clayton, including at London’s Purcell Room and at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, and she recently appeared with cellist Guy Johnston at Taunton’s Brewhouse Theatre.  As a chamber musician Sarah has performed with the Wind Soloists of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, as well as with John Lill, Lydia Mordkovitch and Cecilia Bartoli.

In 1998 Sarah founded the chamber ensemble Contemporary Consort, which specialises in the performance of works by British Composers.  The group has been an Ensemble in Residence at the King's Lynn Festival since 2001, and is currently also an Ensemble in Residence to the RCM Composition Faculty.  They have appeared many times on BBC Radio Three for the BBC Proms Composer Portrait Series.

Since 2001 Sarah has regularly appeared in the clarinet section of the London Symphony Orchestra, and she can be heard playing one of the four bass clarinet parts in the 2002 film "Star Wars Episode II, Attack of the Clones".  Sarah first performed as a member of the Minehead Festival Orchestra in 1995.