About

Sara Dowling, a Palestinian-Irish jazz vocalist, was voted Best Vocalist in the 2019 British Jazz Awards and is recognized as one of Europe’s leading jazz singers. 
Due to Sara’s mixed parentage her first contact with music was the voice of Fairuz and Umm Kalthoum whom her mother dearly loved and, in complete contrast, the piano of Errol Garner, her father’s favourite. Originally trained as a classical cellist at Chetham’s and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, she performed with the Hallé Orchestra and for Yo-Yo Ma at the age of 18. All her musical experiences eventually led her to discover her voice and her passion for extemporisation, thus emerging as a powerful and expressive jazz vocalist and composer. Her most important influences are Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan.
Now a resident of Spain after an extended career on the London jazz scene, Sara is currently playing on many European stages. El País International recently published a feature on Sara where journalist Ferran Bono said, “Sara Dowling, the jazz singer with Palestinian roots, shines in Valencia […] showcasing her powerful vocal range and commanding stage presence in Spain.”

Testament to Sara’s exceptional artistic evolution as a performer, composer and bandleader, she has headlined jazz festivals in France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Hungary and shared the stage with many top artists like Michael Kanan, Bruce Barth, Albert Sanz, Andrea Pozza, Terrell Stafford, Jason Rebello, Steve Brown, Ross Stanley and Mátyás Gayer. The move to Europe started a new chapter for Sara and within her first year of residing in Valencia she headlined at two of the most prestigious festivals in Spain, San Javier 2022 and the San Sebastian Festival Jazzaldía 2023.
She has also performed in festivals and concert series such as The British Jazz Festival in France, Jazz Tardor 2022, Valladolid Jazz 2022, International Jazz Day Auditorio de Tenerife 2023, Jazz at UPV Valencia 2023, Santander Centro Botín 2023, Cangas Jazz 2024, Fundacion Juan March 2024.

As an in-demand educator, Sara has taught at jazz seminars throughout Spain, including Berklee Valencia, Leon International Seminario de Jazz, SedaJazz Workshop, Tenerife Jazz Camp, Jorge Rossy’s Jazz Camp Begues 2025, Jazz Alhaurrín Malaga 2023 and Seminario Internacional de Jazz Fuengirola 2025.
Sara’s recent work includes collaborations on albums with Bruce Barth “At Sundown Time”, Ignasi Terraza “Star Gazers”,  she featured on Perico Sambeat’s album “Roneando”, and Albert Sanz Big Band “Algú Que Em Vullgar Cuidar”. In 2024, she launched the duo project Samā with Albert Sanz, releasing a live recording of their concert at Fundación Juan March in Madrid, “The music of Tom Jobim”. Summer 2025 will see the release of “Bons Amigos” for the prestigious label Chandos Records, a collaboration with the U.K. based Aquarela Guitar Quartet where Sara appears as vocalist, cellist, pianist and composer.