Sarah Li-Yin Osa

Sarah was born in Oslo, and trained as a classical ballet dancer at the Norwegian National Ballet School in Oslo and Académie de Danse Classique in Monte Carlo. After working for 5 years as a professional ballet dancer in London, she studied at Cambridge University, where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Japanese and Chinese Studies, with a focus on literature and history. She won a Fulbright scholarship to study in the United States, and, with the aim of transitioning back into the arts field, she completed a Masters degree in Arts and Cultural Management at Pratt Institute, New York.

While in New York, she worked in fundraising for City Lights Youth Theater and for the Opera Company of Brooklyn, where she was later General Manager. She is a board member of Abanar, an organisation dedicated to dance on film, which she helped to incorporate as a non-profit organisation.

After returning to London, Sarah worked as an artist manager for Intermusica Artists’ Management, with responsibility for soloists and conductors. This led to a move to Oslo, where she was Head of Artistic Planning of the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, working on shaping the organisation’s strategy for programme planning, touring, recordings and artist engagement. During her time in Oslo she also served on the board for the Queen Sonja International Music Competition. 

Apart from her lifelong passion for the arts, in particular music and dance, she has had a long-standing interest in mentorship and in helping young artists make the transition to their professional fields. She has worked independently as a consultant and career development coach, where her clients have included both students and established artists.

She co-founded Lead! Foundation in 2018, an organisation she now runs, and is the Director of the Fiskars Summer Festival.