New Zealand-born Sarah Butler gained a Bachelor of Music at Auckland University before travelling to study in the United Kingdom. Butler spent 12 years in the UK and gained a Masters with Distinctions in performance at Trinity College of Music in London. She then freelanced with the biggest companies in the region – Royal Opera House Orchestra, English National Ballet, London Concert Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony, Scottish Opera, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Queens Hall Orchestra, before moving back to New Zealand in 2004 where she was appointed Associate Principal Trumpet with the Christchurch Symphony. She was then appointed Associate Principal Trumpet of the Auckland Philharmonia in mid-2009.

In late 2009, she moved to Australia, accepting the position of Principal Trumpet with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra – making history in the process as the first female Principal Trumpet of a Symphony Orchestra in Australasia. Sarah  left the company in 2019 and travelled to Bangkok, Hobart and Melbourne to perform and give masterclasses in her role as a Bach Artist.  In 2019 Sarah has also appeared as soloist with the Queensland Pops and has also performed concerti with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and Southern Sinfonia. During the past ten years Sarah has also worked as guest Principal with New Zealand, Melbourne, Sydney, Western, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.

Sarah is a passionate educator and is fortunate to enjoy a sought after teaching position at Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Griffith University, where she is currently Trumpet Lecturer and Head of Brass.