Following studies as a scholar with John White at the Royal Academy of Music, London, and with Thomas Riebl at the Mozarteum, Salzburg, Sarah-Jane received numerous awards from Young Concert Artists Trust, Royal Over-Seas League (Bernard Shore Award), the Trevor Snoad Award (Martin Trust), Leverhulme, Myra Hess, Countess of Munster, Fleming, Alban Berg, and Abbado Trusts. She was a prizewinner

at the 1994 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, followed by two first prizes in Spain at Capellades and Sant Joan de Vilatorrada in 1995.

Sarah-Jane made her Wigmore Hall debut in 1997 and has played there many times since, along with other high profile concerts including the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester.

At home with works from all eras, she's also known as a pioneer of new music for the viola and has premiered many new works written especially for her. Leading composer David Matthews has written a number of new pieces for Sarah-Jane, including the concerto, Winter Remembered, which, after joint premieres at the Deal and Presteigne Festivals in 2002, was broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 with the City of London Sinfonia in 2003. This was to form the basis for her acclaimed CD recording for Dutton of British Viola Music with Orchestra Nova conducted by George Vass, released in February 2007.

Subsequently Sarah-Jane has recorded the Arthur Butterworth Viola Concerto for Dutton in May 2008 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the composer conducting in his celebratory 85th birthday year. The CD of his Viola Concerto and Fourth Symphony was released in February 2009.

Sarah-Jane also recorded the Delius double concerto in the version for violin and viola with Philippe Graffin and the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by David Lloyd-Jones in January 2009. This was released on Dutton Epoch in May 2009 and was Classic FM Editor's Choice.

Sarah-Jane gave the world premiere of Paul Patterson's Viola Concerto at the 2009 Hampstead and Highgate Festival, and premiered his Elegiac Blues for viola and piano in December 2008. She recorded the viola concerto with George Vass and Orchestra Nova, due for release on Dutton Epoch in October 2010.

Future recordings with Dutton include Arthur Benjamin's Elegy, Waltz and Toccata for viola and orchestra, and the Romantic Fantasy for violin, viola and orchestra. In July 2011 Sarah-Jane will give the premiere of Matthew Taylor's 5 Humoreskes with Sinfonia Tamesa.

As a distinguished chamber musician Sarah-Jane has toured throughout the world and has been invited to participate in many festivals, including the prestigious Marlboro Festival in Vermont (1992) and Kuhmo Festival in Finland (2001), as well as the Moments Musicaux Festival in Normandy in August 2008. She was a founder member of the Leopold String Trio (1991-9), a member of the Sorrel Quartet (1999-2005) and has more recently been working with the Fidelio Piano Quartet and 'Organism', an exciting chamber ensemble revolving around works with organ. Plans include a CD recording of chamber works with organ by York Bowen. Recent chamber music partners have included the pianist Martin Roscoe, violinist Thomas Gould, cellist Marie Macleod, clarinettists Catriona Scott and Katherine Spencer and the Rautio Piano Trio.

Her numerous well-received recordings for Dutton, Chandos and Hyperion include the complete Beethoven String Trios which was runner-up for the 1999 Gramophone Award, the recording of John Pickard's String Quartets with the Sorrel Quartet which was Gramophone Editor's Choice in 2002, and the Elgar Quartet and Quintet which received a top nomination on BBC Radio 3.

Sarah-Jane is currently working with pianist Anthony Hewitt, director of the Ulverston Festival, in a partnership that toured Britain successfully as a selected duo for Making Music for 2008/2009. Their Naxos recording of East European Romantic Works for Viola and Piano was released on digital download in June 2010, when it was also featured in an article in The Strad, 'Echoes of the East'; it is scheduled for physical release in September 2011. Sarah-Jane has also recorded the Sonatina by William Alwyn with Sophia Rahman for the William Alwyn Foundation for Naxos, released in July 2010.

Sarah-Jane plays on a viola by G.A.Chanot of Manchester, 1896