Sarah Nemtsov was born in Oldenburg, Germany in 1980. Since 1998 she studied composition at the Hochschule for Music and Theatre in Hanover with Nigel Osborne. In 2000, she began her regular studies at the same institution with Johannes Schoellhorn (composition) and Klaus Becker (oboe). Since 2003 her oboe teacher was Burkhard Glaetzner at the UdK (Berlin Arts University). In 2005, she began with her post-graduate studies in composition with Walter Zimmermann at the Berlin Arts University (Meisterschueler exam with distinction).
She won the national competition for young composers, “Schueler komponieren,” five times between 1995 and 1999. She was also the winner of the international Delmenhorst competition for composers in 1995. She has been a recipient of a scholarship from the German Academic Foundation since 2003. In 2007 she won the “ Hanns Eisler Preis” for Composition and received a scholarship from the Aribert Reimann Foundation. In 2009 she received a scholarship by the Wilfried Steinbrenner Foundation. In 2011 she received a residence at Villa Serpentara.
Her compositions were featured in various international festivals – for example, at the Donaueschingen Music Days (2011), ICSM World New Music festival in Stuttgart, the Festival Musica in Strasbourg, Israel festival, Klangwerkstatt in Berlin, and A•DEvantgarde in Munich. Her opera, “L’ABSENCE” (2006-2008), based on “Le Livre des Questions” by Edmond Jabès, will premiere in 2012 at Muenchener Biennale.