Sara Salsbury, PYO co-founder, serves as General Manager for PYO and as Director of the Preparatory Orchestras, Music Camp, and Chamber Music. She has previously been part of the Instrumental Music Team for the Redwood City School District and a string specialist for the Mountain View CSMA, the Sunnyvale and Mountain View School Districts, Woodside Priory School, and the El Camino Youth Symphony. She is a member of Mu Phi Epsilon, Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO), The League of American Orchestras, MENC, CMEA and ASTA/CODA. She also serves on the ACSO Board of Directors.

Sara was one of the 1994 recipients of the CAPA Arts Award (Council for the Arts of Palo Alto) for her dedication to music education and youth symphony work. In 2012, she was inducted into the San Mateo County Women's Hall of Fame, in recognition of her work with young musicians and the contribution of the orchestra to the cultural life of San Mateo County.

Sara grew up in Michigan where she attended the National Music Camp at Interlochen for many summers. Sara received her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Music Degrees from DePauw University and her Master of Arts Degree in Music Education from Stanford University. Sara and her husband Phillip live in Palo Alto where they raised four sons, all of whom were music majors in college.