Office Hours: By appointment

Sarah Manasreh-Decker is the Assistant Professor of Clarinet at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Previously she served as the Assistant Professor of Clarinet and Music Theory at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and principal clarinet of the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra and Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra. Sarah is active with the International Clarinet Association, previously serving as the editor for The Clarinet [Online] and on the Social Media Committee.

Sarah’s playing has been described as “powerful, rich, and virtuosic.” As a chamber musician, she performs with The Bearstar Trio and The Way Out, a unique group that combines classical musicians with the accessibility of bar music. As a solo musician, Sarah often pushes the boundaries of traditional clarinet performance – engaging in commissions, premieres, and unusual programs – most notably her experimental new music project The Big Black Blotch.

Equity, diversity, and inclusivity in music is a driving force behind Sarah’s teaching and performance. In 2020, she established The Student Coalition for Equity in Music, a student directed group that leads conversations about disparities in the Western Classical Tradition and experiments with accessibility in performance practice. She has been the chairperson for the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Policy Committee since 2021. She is a fierce advocate for fair representation for composers and performers. Sarah founded and co-hosted the International Clarinet Association’s Clarinet and Community series – a videocast interview platform that explores how community building is achieved through clarinet performance, composition, and pedagogy.

Sarah completed her Doctor of Musical Arts at Michigan State University under the tutelage of Dr. Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr. She earned her Master of Music Performance from the Royal Northern College of Music and her Bachelor of Music Performance from Florida State University. Her primary teachers include Elsa Ludewig-Verdehr, Chris Swann, Deborah Bish, Frank Kowalsky, and Lori Lovato.