Sarah Foubert performing Hanna in The Merry Widow at the Royal Northern College of Music

Hi, I’m Sarah.

About me

I’m a Belgian-born soprano who has lived in the UK for over eleven years. I first came to Manchester to study at the Royal Northern College of Music and completely fell in love with the city, the country, and later with my husband Simon, whom I met at the RNCM and who is also a musician.

Alongside my music and teaching, I have run a portrait and branding photography business under the name ‘foubography’ for over a decade. During COVID, and later after having my two boys, I decided to put my regular teaching on pause while navigating life as a mum. The arrival of a lovely new piano in our home has made me itch to teach again, and I’m really looking forward to welcoming a small roster of dedicated students back into my studio.

When I’m not at the piano or behind the camera, you’ll usually find me reading, landscape photographing, or hiking across the Peak District and the Lake District, ideally doing all three at once.

I live in Altrincham with my husband, our two boys, our cat Kleine, and our boxer dog Rosie, and we travel back to Belgium regularly to see family.

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My Qualifications

  • I have trained extensively both in Belgium and the UK, combining practical conservatoire performance with dedicated music pedagogy:

    • Teacher’s Degree in Music (Specialising in Music) – Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp (recognised UK QTS status)

    • Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Studies in Musical Performance (Voice) – Royal Northern College of Music

    • Postgraduate Master of Music (MMus, Voice) – Royal Northern College of Music

    • Master of Music in Classical Singing (MMus) – Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp

    • Bachelor of Music in Classical Singing (BMus) – Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp

    • Bachelor of Art History, Musicology & Theatre Studies – Ghent University

  • I have over a decade of private vocal teaching experience. In 2012, I founded and developed a large, successful private vocal studio in Manchester City Centre, mentoring roughly 60 regular pupils of all ages and stage, from absolute beginners to students preparing for conservatoire entry, before stepping back to have my children and selling the practice to colleagues in 2022.

    My background also includes teaching at the Academy for Drama, Music and Dance in Grimbergen (Belgium), as well as educational outreach work with Clonter Opera, introducing vocal performance and musical theatre to more than 2,000 schoolchildren.

  • I am a vocal technician first and foremost. Because our instrument lives entirely inside our bodies, your sound is directly linked to your posture, your nervous system, and your breath support.

    My studio is warm, patient, and encouraging, but we do not skirt around technique. I break down how the vocal cords, larynx, and breath actually function in plain, practical terms so that singing stops feeling like an unpredictable mystery. We treat repertoire as a tool to build that technique: Italian arias, German Lieder, or English art songs are chosen specifically to solve vocal puzzles, like vowel alignment or breath management, so you build a healthy voice that will last you for life.

  • Raised and educated in Belgium, I grew up speaking Flemish/Dutch, am fully bilingual in English, and studied French and German extensively.

    With my musicology background, text is never an afterthought in my lessons. When working on German Lieder, French mélodies, or Italian arias, we don't rely on a vague poetic summary. We work through the literal, word-for-word translation and phonetics so you understand the exact meaning and inflection of every single syllable you sing.

  • As an active classical soprano, my stage work has covered operatic and concert roles across the UK and Europe:

    • Madame Herz – Der Schauspieldirektor (Mozart) | PopUp Opera

    • Donna Anna – Don Giovanni (Mozart) | Opera Loki

    • Mimi / Phémie – La Bohème (Puccini) | Barefoot Opera & Iford Arts Opera

    • Dew Fairy – Hansel and Gretel (Humperdinck) | Celebrate Voice

    • Hanna Glawari – The Merry Widow (Lehár) | RNCM Opera

    • Mrs Fiorentino – Street Scene (Weill) | RNCM Opera

    • Euridice – Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) | RNCM Opera

    • Musicians' Union (MU): Full member, holding comprehensive Public Liability Insurance (up to £10m) and professional indemnity cover.

    • Safeguarding / DBS: Valid Enhanced DBS check registered on the DBS Update Service.