Sarah KONE

Bio

Sarah Koné was born in 1985 in Annecy, France, where she received her early musical training. She studied vocal performance at the Lyon Opera Children’s Choir (Maîtrise de l’Opéra de Lyon) under the direction of Claire Gibault, then at the Lausanne Conservatory, before entering the Paris Conservatoire (Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris) in 2003 to study both vocal performance and orchestral conducting. In 2008, she founded Compagnie Sans Père, which partnered with the Opéra-Comique National Theatre in 2016 to create France’s first Maîtrise Populaire (Popular Academy). The program supports 120 young people aged 8 to 25 through a multidisciplinary performing arts curriculum integrated into an adapted school schedule. Through an active recruitment policy designed to ensure social and geographic diversity among its students, the Maîtrise Populaire has become a unique model of performing arts education. Sarah Koné served as its Artistic Director until 2024 and remains its founder. In 2021, she was appointed Deputy Director of the Cité de la musique – Philharmonie de Paris, with responsibility for social impact initiatives and new projects. In 2025, she became Deputy Director for General Coordination, Strategy, and Public Affairs.