About

Recognition & Impact

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Sarah Williams is a nationally recognized leader in multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary arts, celebrated for her bold curatorial vision and transformative impact across creative ecosystems. From film and digital media to theater, music, and visual arts, she reimagines how cultural experiences are created, produced, and shared. She has been honored by Philadelphia Business Journal as a Woman of Distinction and named one of Musical America's Top 30 Professionals of the Year for her "well-earned reputation as a savvy commissioner of new works."

 

Opera Magazine praised her efforts to "broaden the demographics of creators, practitioners, and audiences," while Opera News called her a "tirelessly inventive curator of new work."

 

Transformative Leadership at Opera Philadelphia

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As Director of New Works & Creative Producer, Sarah helped transform Opera Philadelphia from a company that hadn't presented a world premiere in over 30 years into an international trailblazer. Under her leadership:

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• 20+ world premieres commissioned and produced

• Grammy nominations and New York Times Best Musical Performances recognition

• 50% increase in under-35 attendance through innovative audience development

• First U.S. producer of a Fedora Generali Prize-winning opera

• National model for composer-in-residence programs

 

Her work spans from intimate site-specific installations to large-scale international co-productions, always emphasizing artistic risk-taking, creative excellence, and thoughtful execution.

 

Interdisciplinary Creative Practice

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Sarah's work spans film, theater, music, visual arts, and digital media, championing boundary-pushing projects with acclaimed artists across disciplines:

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• Film & Media: "The Island We Made" with Sasha Velour, "Paper Tiger" with Sean Pecknold

• Theater & Performance: Bill T. Jones, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Hannah Moscovitch, Lileana Blain-Cruz

• Music & Sound: Tyshawn Sorey, Esperanza Spalding, Missy Mazzoli, Caroline Shaw, Wayne Shorter

• Visual Arts: Arthur Jafa, George Condo, Tiona Nekkia McClodden

 

Her institutional partnerships reflect this interdisciplinary approach: Carnegie Hall, The Apollo Theater, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Barnes Foundation, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Music Theatre Wales. In 2024, she helped launch a five-year collaboration with The Apollo Theater to uplift and support Black artists across all creative mediums.

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Thought Leadership & Speaking

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A sought-after voice on creative leadership, commissioning, and equity in the arts, Sarah has spoken at:

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• Universities: University of Pennsylvania, The New School, Leuphana Universität

• Industry: Opera America, Dramatists Guild, NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment

• Recent: Moderated panel at The Guggenheim's Works & Process series

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SarahProduces Consultancy

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Sarah founded SarahProduces LLC, a creative consultancy helping artists, institutions, and initiatives navigate vision, strategy, and execution across all artistic disciplines. Whether working with museums, theaters, film projects, or multidisciplinary collaboratives, her approach is collaborative, generative, and attuned to the unique needs of each project and person.

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"Her approach is less about a single role and more about a way of working: collaborative, generative, and attuned to the needs of each project and person."

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Adaptive Leadership

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Sarah's versatility extends beyond her primary roles - she has served as Interim General Manager of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and, during COVID-19, produced a digital channel and six-day global film festival, showcasing her ability to innovate and lead across different contexts and under pressure.

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Sarah is brought in to listen deeply, ask the right questions, and help build the conditions where ambitious work can move forward.