A longtime New York City resident, Sara Serpa has performed at some of the city’s most iconic venues, including Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Joe’s Pub, and the Village Vanguard. Since 2008, she has toured internationally with her own projects, bringing her genre-defying music to festivals and stages across Europe, North and South America. Serpa has also been touring extensively with renowned bassist Linda May Han Oh, contributing her voice to some of today’s most visionary and boundary-pushing musical collaborations.

Over the years, she has worked with an impressive range of artists, including Mark Turner, Ran Blake, David Virelles, Fabian Almazan, John Zorn, Erik Friedlander, Ingrid Laubrock, Danilo Perez, Greg Osby, Zeena Parkins, Qasim Naqvi, Sofía Rei, and André Matos, her long-time duo partner. These collaborations reflect her deep commitment to musical exploration and her versatility as a performer and composer. Her distinctive voice and compositional vision have led to numerous commissions, fellowships, and accolades, including recognition from NPR, the New York Times, DownBeat Magazine,  and The Wire, as she continues to be a bold voice pushing the boundaries of vocal music.

Her upcoming album, End of Something (out November 7, 2025), is a duo project with pianist Matt Mitchell, showcasing the depth of their creative partnership through intimate compositions that blur the lines between song, improvisation, and contemporary classical music.

Beyond the stage and studio, Serpa is also the co-founder of M³ (Mutual Mentorship for Musicians), a groundbreaking collective dedicated to supporting women and gender-expansive artists through mentorship, collaboration, and community-building. With M³, she’s helped create a living archive of music, writing, and conversations that center underrepresented voices in the music world.

Born and raised in Lisbon, Portugal, Serpa grew up immersed in books, art, and music. Her work is often shaped by themes of migration, history, and identity, and she draws inspiration from poetry, film, and global political narratives. Her ability to combine the personal and the political has made her a unique and resonant figure in today’s music landscape.

Also a passionate educator, Serpa teaches voice and creative practice at The New School and regularly mentors emerging artists around the world. Whether in performance, collaboration, or community-building, she continues to redefine what it means to be a vocalist and composer in the XXI century.