Sarah Jarosz

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (mandolin, clawhammer banjo, and guitar) Sarah Jarosz was seemingly born a musician — she was already a virtuoso on mandolin by the time she was ten. Born in Austin, Texas on May 23, 1991, Jarosz left no doubt where her future was going, and at 12 years old she was jamming with the likes of David Grisman and Ricky Skaggs on-stage. But she wasn’t really bluegrass so much as she was something else again, a fine and graceful songwriter with a sweet, timeless voice that gave her songs and well-chosen covers tremendous resonance. Viewed by many as a next-generation version of Gillian Welch, Jarosz signed a deal with Sugar Hill Records when she was just 16. A debut album, Song Up in Her Head, appeared from the label in 2009 and quickly garnered tremendous critical acclaim. That same year, Jarosz began work on a major in contemporary voice improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music, proving once again that she was no garden variety musician. A second album, Follow Me Down, appeared from Sugar Hill in the spring of 2011.