Sara Salvérius

An accordionist, composer and storyteller: Ghent-born Sara Salvérius has made versatility and expressivity her musical trademarks. Working at the cutting edge of composition and improvisation, she creates heartfelt stories with a universal expressive power. Her work is deeply rooted in her own personal experience and is as striking in more intimate settings as in a concert hall. She is in constant search of collaboration that reaches beyond the confines of genres and disciplines. In doing so she brings together the cream of Belgian classical, jazz and improvised music scenes.

 

Sara developed her sensitive virtuosity during her studies of classical accordion with  Philippe Thuriot at the Conservatory in Ghent. Since the loss of her sister, who sadly took her own life, she has focused on writing her own compositions. Initially she did so alone, her debut album being Trapped In Sight (2018) followed by Equinox (2020), after which she had continued to work with various musical formations. Her album Pendulum (2023) was composed especially for the Sun*Sun*Sun string quartet who played on instruments all made from the same piece of wood by Pieter Goossens. In  Stories without words (2024) she formed a duo with clarinettist Jean-Philippe Poncin to tell musical stories of the lives of people living in an assisted-living centre. Her grandfather’s euthanasia formed the point of departure for a new project in the making called Breath (expected to be completed in 2027), in which she will work together with four brass instrumentalists from various backgrounds. Next to all this Sara has also been involved in the theatre. A number of her composition can be heard in the productions of various playwrights, such as Valentijn Dhaenens and Giovanni Brand, among others.

 

Sara Salvérius is a welcome guest on stage both at home and abroad, and is well appreciated by the public and critics alike. Klara praised her debut album, calling it one of the most striking releases of that year. Since then Sara’s work has been awarded numerous prizes, including among others the Flanders Folk Award for the Best Album of 2022 and the Flanders Folk Award for Best Live Band in 2025.

 With their album Stories without words, Sara Salvérius & Jean-Philippe Poncin won the audience award at the Belgian Worldwide Music Awards in 2026.