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| Sharon Isbin | |
|---|---|
| Name | Sharon Isbin |
| Birth date | 1956 |
| Birth place | Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Occupation | Classical guitarist, educator |
| Instruments | Classical guitar |
Sharon Isbin is an American classical guitarist, recording artist, and pedagogue noted for expanding the repertoire, commissioning new works, and advancing the profile of the guitar in concert halls and on recordings. She has performed with major orchestras and at international festivals, collaborated with composers and soloists, and founded a university guitar department. Her career bridges performance, recording, and education, with numerous awards and philanthropic activities.
Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Isbin studied early with Andrés Segovia-era figures and American teachers before pursuing advanced studies at the Juilliard School and the Yale School of Music. She worked with teachers associated with the Royal College of Music, the Conservatoire de Paris, and mentorship traditions linked to Francisco Tárrega and Fernando Sor. During her formative years she participated in master classes at institutions such as the Mannes School of Music, New England Conservatory, and international festivals including the Tanglewood Music Center and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
Isbin's concert career has included solo recitals, concerto appearances, and chamber collaborations with ensembles and soloists from institutions such as the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. She has premiered works by contemporary composers associated with the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the Knightsbridge Festival, and has collaborated with artists linked to the Metropolitan Opera, the Royal Opera House, and the Vienna State Opera. Her festival appearances have included Carnegie Hall, the Lincoln Center, the Ravinia Festival, the Edinburgh Festival, and the Salzburg Festival. She has been a guest on broadcasts for BBC Radio 3, NPR, and CBC Radio and has been profiled in publications like The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.
Her discography spans labels connected with the Deutsche Grammophon and Sony Classical traditions and includes recordings that have won prizes from institutions such as the Grammy Awards, the Gramophone Awards, and the BBC Music Magazine awards. Isbin commissioned and recorded concertos and solo works by composers associated with the Pulitzer Prize, the MacArthur Fellows Program, and the National Endowment for the Arts, expanding repertoire alongside transcriptions related to composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Isaac Albéniz, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Maurice Ravel, and Astor Piazzolla. Her albums have been reviewed by critics writing for Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and Gramophone, and have been included in catalogues distributed via Decca Records and international distributors connected to the Universal Music Group.
Isbin founded and chaired a guitar department at a major conservatory linked to the Juilliard School model and has held visiting professorships at institutions including the Yale School of Music, the Royal Academy of Music, and the Royal Conservatory of Music. She has developed curricula used at summer programs such as the Aspen Music Festival and School and the Tanglewood Music Center, given master classes at the Conservatoire de Paris and the Peabody Institute, and served on juries for competitions affiliated with the GFA (Guitar Foundation of America), the International Tárrega Competition, and the Carlo Morelli Competition. Her pedagogical writings and edited editions have been released by publishers connected to the Editions Durand and Boosey & Hawkes networks.
Isbin's honors include prizes from organizations like the Grammy Awards, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Public Radio cultural awards, and recognition from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. She has received distinctions tied to the Library of Congress, the Presidential Scholars Program, and cultural honors awarded by state arts councils and institutions such as the New York City Mayor's Office cultural programs. International accolades have come from bodies related to the Ministry of Culture (France), the Royal Philharmonic Society, and festival committees at Edinburgh Festival and Salzburg Festival.
Isbin has been active in philanthropic initiatives with organizations such as the Guitar Foundation of America, the Carnegie Hall educational programs, the National Endowment for the Arts, and charitable events benefiting institutions like the United Nations cultural initiatives and hospital arts programs tied to the Cleveland Clinic and Mount Sinai Health System. Her outreach has involved partnerships with conservatories, youth orchestras linked to the League of American Orchestras, and scholarship funds associated with the Juilliard School and regional arts foundations.
Category:Classical guitarists Category:American musicians