Noticed at the age of 14 by François-René Duchâble, Sarah Lavaud was trained by Bruno Rigutto, Nicholas Angelich, Christian Ivaldi, Ami Flammer and Michaël Levinas at the CNSM in Paris – alongside brilliant general studies. She obtained the Piano Prizes (mention Excellence), chamber music and musical analysis (mention Excellence with congratulations), received during master-classes the advice of György Kurtág, Franco Scala and Livia Rev, and perfected with Jean- Claude Pennetier, Rena Shereshevskaya, Hüseyin Sermet, and Maria Curcio in London.

Winner of international competitions (Città di Pinerolo, Maria Canals in Barcelona, Francis Poulenc, Arthur Rubinstein in Tel Aviv …), she performs on prestigious French and European stages:
Philharmonie de Paris, Salle Gaveau, Maison de Radio France, Salle Cortot, Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique de Paris, Amphitheater of the Opéra National de Lyon, numerous festivals including La Roque d’Anthéron, Soloists at Serres d’Auteuil, Piano en Valois, Lisztomanias de Châteauroux, Lille Piano (s) Festival, Chopin festivals in Paris and Nohant, Notes d’Automne in Perreux-sur-Marne, Le dieci Giornate di Brescia and Armonie sotto la Rocca in Italy, Lavaux Classic in Switzerland, festivals various in Spain, Holland, Sweden… – alone or in dialogue with partners such as François-René Duchâble, Christian Ivaldi, Svetlin Roussev, Ingrid Schoenlaub, the Quatuor Parisii, and on the musical theater side, Claudine Hunault or Bertrand Périer.

After a CD “Classica Discovery” (2004), she published in 2009, with the support of the Lagardère Foundation of which she is a winner, a Koechlin CD for the label Ar Ré-Sé (revised version of the Quintet for piano and strings world premiere , with the Antigone Quartet), critically acclaimed.
Five years later, the disc Dans les Brumes (cited above) consecrates his love for Janáček. Eager to contribute to a better knowledge of the language and the creative approach of the Moravian composer, she has in fact served her music for over fifteen years, through various proposals: commented recitals (Janáček in perspective), concert-conference (On a path… discovered), show (Soft sounds, with the actress and director Claudine Hunault). This last proposal is actually the fruit of a desire to broaden its range of expression: a desire which since 2010, leads it to explore the resonances between music and words in various forms of shows, where it combines roles pianist and actress. She thus plays in La Reine des Neiges, after Andersen (director: Jean Lacornerie), Un Petit Prince, after Saint-Exupéry (director:
Marie Tikova), creates the show Du moelleux des sons with Claudine Hunault, and designs a musical journey
around a collection of poems by Annie Barkatz Edinger, On the threshold.

In 2018, she created a single stage in Paris around poems by René Char, Fureur et mystère, and in March 2019, a show with Françoise Chandernagor and Anny Duperey around unrecognized poets, When women talk about love.

Her career attracted the attention of the media: portraits and interviews (Diapason, Classica, Pianist, La Lettre du Musicien, France 2, Japanese NHK television, etc.), regular invitations to France Musique (On all tones, Si j’ose dire , In the big leagues, Their first CD, Translator’s notes)…

In 2010, she participated in a complete Chopin gathering of many pianists on the occasion of the composer’s bicentennial, broadcast on France 3 and France 5.

In 2016, she played for TF1 and France 3 during reports on Opus 102, a new concert model by piano maker Stephen Paulello, whose work she has been following and promoting for a long time.

Finally, the experiences of artistic direction and teaching came, a few seasons ago, to enrich his career.
After white cards in various places (Amphitheater of the Opera of Lyon, PB-YSL Foundation in Paris), she was, from 2011 to 2016, musical adviser of the festival A la folie… not at all! at the Royal Monastery of Brou, in Ain.

Furthermore, considering transmission as one of the major responsibilities of the musician, she devotes herself to teaching through master classes as well as at the Conservatoire d’Asnières, where she was appointed professor in 2015.