Sharon Isbin

Last updated

Sharon Isbin
Sharon Isbin 2011.jpg
Sharon Isbin in 2011
Background information
Born Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. [1]
Genres Classical, folk
OccupationMusician
InstrumentClassical guitar
Years active1970–present
Labels Sony Classics, Warner Classics, Cedille Records, Bridge Records, Zoho Music, Concord Records, Video Artists International
Website www.sharonisbin.com

Sharon Isbin [1] is an American classical guitarist and the founder director of the guitar department at the Juilliard School. [2] [3]

Contents

Personal life and education

Sharon Isbin was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, [1] to attorney Katherine Brudnoy [4] and Herbert S. Isbin, [5] a nuclear scientist and professor at the University of Minnesota. [6] She began her guitar studies at the age of nine with Aldo Minella in Varese, Italy. [7] She later studied with Jeffrey Van, Sophocles Papas, Andrés Segovia, Oscar Ghiglia, and Alirio Díaz for ten years with the noted keyboard artist and Bach scholar Rosalyn Tureck. Isbin collaborated with Tureck in preparing first-performance editions of the Bach lute suites for guitar, published by G Schirmer and recorded by Isbin as Complete Bach Lute Suites on Warner Classics. [8] Isbin created and directs the guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival and the Juilliard School.

She began practicing Transcendental Meditation at age 17. [9] She received a B.A. cum laude from Yale University and a Master of Music (M.M.) from the Yale School of Music.

Music career

Performing and recording

Isbin has appeared as soloist with over 200 orchestras, and has commissioned more concertos than any other guitarist—including those written for her by John Corigliano, Tan Dun, Aaron Jay Kernis, Joseph Schwantner, Lukas Foss, Chris Brubeck, Christopher Rouse and Karen LeFrak. [10]

In 2005, Isbin performed a world premiere of Blossom Suite along with the composer and rock guitarist Steve Vai. Her earliest crossover collaborations began with Brazilian guitarist Laurindo Almeida and jazz guitarist Larry Coryell. In 2014, she performed a 20-city Guitar Passions tour with jazz musicians Stanley Jordan and Romero Lubambo.

In 2015, she performed with Josh Groban on PBS's Billy Joel: Gershwin Prize concert, [11] and in February 2015 she was featured on the Tavis Smiley PBS television series.

Among more than 80 works composed for her which she has premiered are solo and chamber works by Joan Tower, David Diamond, Ned Rorem, Howard Shore, John Duarte, Leo Brouwer, Joseph Schwantner, Amjad Ali Khan and Bruce MacCombie. New York's Carnegie Hall and Chicago's Harris Theater commissioned composer Richard Danielpour to write a song cycle for Isbin and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard to commemorate the 125th anniversary of Carnegie Hall. [12] She has premiered over 80 works by world-renowned composers.

Isbin's catalogue of over 35 albums has sold over one million copies, ranging from Baroque music, Spanish/Latin, and 20th century to crossover and jazz fusion. Her most recent releases are LIVE IN ASPEN (2024), AFFINITY: World Premiere Recordings, and STRINGS FOR PEACE: Premieres for Guitar & Sarod with Amjad Ali Khan, both of which were named Best of 2020 by NPR, SiriusXM, and multiple media. Her Souvenirs of Spain & Italy (Cedille) with the Pacifica Quartet debuted at number two on the Billboard charts and at number one on Amazon. Her Alma Espanola (Bridge) with mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard was honored with a 2018 GRAMMY Award for Producer of the Year, Classical. The acclaimed one-hour documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour won the 2015 ASCAP Television Broadcast Award. [13] [14] [15] In October 2014, Warner Classics released a 5-CD box set of her most popular albums titled Sharon Isbin: 5 Classic Albums. Her 2011 release, Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions (Sony), became a bestseller on Amazon.com and includes guest artists Steve Vai, Stanley Jordan, Nancy Wilson, Steve Morse, Romero Lubambo, Rosa Passos, Thiago de Mello, and Paul Winter.

Awards and nominations

Isbin has been regarded as "the pre-eminent guitarist of our time." Isbin has also won the following awards:

Isbin's winning of the Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year made her the first guitarist in the award's history to do so. [18] She was the first guitarist to win the Munich ARD International Competition.

Her album Journey to the Amazon received a 1999 Grammy nomination for "Best Classical Crossover Album," and the album on which she appeared playing Aaron Jay Kernis' Double Concerto with violinist Cho-Liang Lin and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra received a 2000 Grammy nomination for "Best Contemporary Classical Composition" for Kernis' Air for Violin.

Isbin won a Grammy Award in 2001 for her work in Dreams of a World: Folk-Inspired Music for Guitar (Warner Classics), becoming the first classical guitarist to win a Grammy in 28 years. On September 11, 2002, Isbin's performed for the memorial tribute at Ground Zero, which was televised live. Her world premiere concertos, written for her by Christopher Rouse and Tan Dun, won a Grammy in 2002. She received a 2005 Latin Grammy nomination for "Best Classical Album" and a 2006 GLAAD Media Award nomination for "Outstanding Music Artist" for her recording of Joaquín Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the New York Philharmonic. The recording also featured concertos by Mexican composer Manuel Ponce and Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos. Isbin was the first guitar soloist to perform with the New York Philharmonic in 26 years. This was the orchestra's first-ever recording with the guitar. In 2010, Isbin won another Grammy Award for the Best Instrumental Soloist in her CD, Journey to the New World (Sony). In November 2009, Isbin performed a concert at the White House by invitation of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. [19] In 2010, Isbin won another Grammy Award for the Best Instrumental Soloist in her CD, Journey to the New World (Sony). The album spent 63 consecutive weeks on Billboard charts and ranked as the number one bestselling classical CD on Amazon and iTunes during that time.

Teaching and other work

In 1989, Isbin created the Master of Music degree, Graduate Diploma, and Artist Diploma for classical guitar at the Juilliard School, becoming the founding director of their guitar department; she added the Bachelor of Music degree and Undergraduate Diploma to the program in 2007, and the Doctor of Musical Arts in 2018. [20]

Isbin is the author of the Classical Guitar Answer Book, and is the director of the Guitar Department at the Aspen Music Festival. [21]

On November 5, 2015, the David Lynch Foundation organized a benefit concert at New York City's Carnegie Hall named "Change Begins Within", to promote transcendental meditation for stress control. Sharon Isbin participated alongside the likes of Katy Perry, Sting, Jerry Seinfeld, Angelique Kidjo and Jim James. [22]

Awards

Grammy

Other awards

Discography

Compact Discs (CDs)
DateTitleLabelCatalog NumberFormatTotal Playing TimeNotes
1978Sharon Isbin Classical GuitarSound EnvironmentTR-10101 LPMusic by Brouwer, Ponce, Sor, Lauro, Albeniz
1980Sharon Isbin Classical Guitar Vol. IISound EnvironmentTR-10131 LPMusic by Bach, Britten, Brouwer
1981Sharon Isbin Spanish Works for Guitar Denon OF-7012-ND1 LPWith Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony; music by Tarrega, Sainz de la Maza, Rodrigo "Concierto de Aranjuez"
1981Sharon Isbin Guitar RecitalDenonOX-7224-ND1 LPMusic by Dodgson, MacCombie, Scarlatti, Bach
1984Dances for GuitarPro ArteCDD 3431 CD/LPMusic by Barrios Mangore, Rodrigo, Lauro, Vianna, Savio, Turina, Granados, Castelnuovo-Tedesco
19853 Guitars 3Pro ArteCDD 2351 CD/LPWith Larry Coryell and Laurindo Almeida; music by Nazareth, Gnattali, de Falla, Almeida, Rodrigo, Coryell
1987Brazil, With Love Concord CCD-43201 CD/LPWith Carlos Barbosa-Lima; music by Jobim, Nazareth, Vianna
1988Rhapsody in Blue/West Side StoryConcordCCD-420121 CD/LPWith Carlos Barbosa-Lima; music by Gershwin and Bernstein
1989J.S. Bach Complete Lute Suites EMI/Virgin Classics VC 7 90712-21 CD (DDD)78:45
1990Road to the SunEMI/Virgin ClassicsVC 7-59591-21 CDMusic by Sainz de la Maza, Rodrigo, Barrios Mangore, Abreu, Jobim, Tarrega, Brouwer, Villa-Lobos, Albeniz
1991Love Songs & LullabiesEMI/Virgin ClassicsVC 7-91750-21 CDWith soprano Benita Valente, baritone Thomas Allen, organic percussionist Thiago de Mello
1991Rodrigo: Concierto de AranjuezEMI/Virgin Classics07777-59024-21 CDRodrigo "Fantasia para un gentilhombre" and "Concierto de Aranjuez", Vivaldi "Concerto in D"
1994Nightshade RoundsEMI/Virgin ClassicsVC 5 45024 21 CD (DDD)Five bagatelles/ William Walton (13:54) – Nightshade rounds / Bruce MacCombie (10:06) – Preludes for piano/ George Gershwin;arr. Carlos Barbosa-Lima (5:48) – Clocks/ Joan Tower (9:07) – Folk song from English suite : op. 31/ John W. Duarte (4:20) – Nocturnal : op. 70/ Benjamin Britten (17:53).
1995American LandscapesEMI/Angel72435-67672-21 CD (DDD)With The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Hugh Wolff. World premiere recording of concertos written for Sharon Isbin by John Corigliano, Joseph Schwantner, Lukas Foss.
1995Black Topaz New World Records 9322-80470-21 CDWith flutist Carol Wincenc performing world premiere recording of "Snow Dreams" written for Isbin and Wincenc.
1997Journey to the Amazon Warner Classics 0630-19899-21 CDWith Paul Winter, and Gaudencio Thiago de Mello. Music by Almeida, Lauro, Barrios Mangore, Thiago de Mello, Montana, Savio, Brouwer, Canonico, Vianna. 1999 Grammy Nomination
1998Wayfaring StrangerWarner Classics3984-23419-21 CDWith mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer, music by Schubert, Seiber, Niles, Sainz de la Maza, Rodrigo, Granados, Martini, Tarrega,
1999Kernis Double Concerto for Violin & Guitar Decca/Argo 289-460226-21 CDWith violinist Cho-Liang Lin and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Hugh Wolff. World premiere recording of concerto for written for Sharon Isbin by Aaron Jay Kernis.
1999Dreams of a WorldWarner Classics3984-25736-21 CD (DDD)Folk-inspired Music for Guitar. 8 World Premieres; Music from Appalachia, Ireland, Greece, Israel, Spain, Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil. 2001 Grammy Award
2001Rouse: Concert de Gaudí/Tan Dun: Guitar Concerto Yi2Warner Classics8573-81830-21 CD (DDD)With the Gulbenkian Orchestra conducted by Muhai Tang. World premiere recording of concertos written for Sharon Isbin. 2002 Grammy Award, Echo Klassik Award
2003Sharon Isbin Plays Baroque Favorites for GuitarWarner Classics0927-45312-21 CDWith the Zurich Chamber Orchestra conducted by Howard Griffiths, music by Bach, Vivaldi, Albinoni
2004Sharon Isbin – Artist PortraitWarner Classics2564-61591-21 CDMusic by Vivaldi, Bach, Rodrigo, Sainz de la Maza, Lauro, Almeida, Thiago de Mello, Niles, Tan Dun, Albinoni, Takemitsu, Tarrega, Martini, Schubert, Rouse
2005Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Villa-Lobos: Concerto for guitar; Ponce: Concierto del surWarner Classics2564-60296-21 CDWith the New York Philharmonic conducted by José Serebrier. 2005 Latin Grammy Nomination
2006 The Departed New Line 390781 CD Howard Shore's soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's film. 2008 Grammy Nomination
2009Journey to the New World Sony Classical 88697-45456-21 CDGuest artists: folk singer Joan Baez and violinist Mark O'Connor. 2010 Grammy Award
2011Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar PassionsSony Classical88697-84219-21 CDGuest artists: Steve Vai, Stanley Jordan, Nancy Wilson, Steve Morse, Romero Lubambo, Rosa Passos, Thiago de Mello, Paul Winter
2014Sharon Isbin: 5 Classic AlbumsWarner Classics2564-62436-45 CDsJourney to the Amazon, Dreams of a World, Baroque Favorites, Rouse-Tan Dun Concertos, Rodrigo/Villa-Lobos/Ponce Concertos with New York Philharmonic
2015Sharon Isbin: TroubadourVideo Artists InternationalDVD 4580Blu-ray 8202Award-winning documentary presented by American Public Television. Guests include Joan Baez, First Lady Michelle Obama, Martina Navratilova, Garrison Keillor, Steve Vai, Stanley Jordan, Mark O'Connor, John Corigliano, Christopher Rouse, Tan Dun, Joan Tower, Romero Lubambo, David Hyde Pierce, Janis Ian & more. Winner 2015 ASCAP Television Broadcast Award
2017Alma Española: Isabel Leonard & Sharon IsbinBridge Records94911 CDComposers: Federico García Lorca, Joaquín Rodrigo, Agustín Lara, Manuel de Falla, Xavier Montsalvatge, Francisco Tárrega, Enrique Granados
2019Souvenirs of Spain & Italy: Sharon Isbin & Pacifica QuartetCedille RecordsCDR 90000 1901 CDComposers: Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Vivaldi, Turina, Boccherini
2020AFFINITY: World Premiere RecordingsZOHO MusicZM 2020051 CDGuest artists: Maryland Symphony Orchestra & conductor Elizabeth Schulze; Isabel Leonard, voice; Colin Davin, guitar
2020STRINGS FOR PEACE: Premieres for Guitar & SarodZOHO MusicZM 2020041 CDSharon Isbin with Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, sarods; Amit Kavthekar, tabla
2024LIVE IN ASPEN: Recorded Live in Concert at the Aspen Music FestivalZOHO MusicZM 2024051 CDSharon Isbin with Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, sarods; Amit Kavthekar, tabla

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sharon Isbin Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor..." AllMusic . Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Sharon Isbin Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  3. ↑ Maurice J. Summerfield: The Classical Guitar. Its Evolution, Players and Personalities Since 1800 (Blaydon-on-Tyne: Ashley Mark Publishing Co., 5th edition, 2002), p. 153–155.
  4. ↑ "Katherine (Brudnoy) Isbin Obituary". Legacy.com .
  5. ↑ "Herbert S. Isbin obituary". Hodroffepsteinmemorialchapels.com.
  6. ↑ Herbert S. Isbin (1963). Introductory Nuclear Reactor Theory (1963).
  7. ↑ "Musos Magazine, Nov. 2011" (PDF). Sharonisbin.com.
  8. ↑ "Sharon Isbin – Publications". Sharonisbin.com.
  9. ↑ Peterson, Diane (January 21, 2011). "Ambassador of guitar to star with SR Symphony: Sharon Isbin broke new ground, founding program at Juilliard". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, Calif. p. D.1.
  10. ↑ "Concerti written for Sharon Isbin". Sharonisbin.com.
  11. ↑ "Josh Groban & Sharon Isbin Perform " She's Always A Woman"". PBS SoCal. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Sharon Isbin – Biography". Sharonisbin.com.
  13. ↑ "Sharon Isbin: Troubadour - Press". Sharonisbintroubadour.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Broadcast dates, Sharon Isbin: Troubadour". Sharonisbintroubadour.com.
  15. ↑ "Sharon Isbin: Troubadour". Euroarts.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  16. ↑ PSG, 360. "Sharon Isbin to receive Lifetime Achievement Award from JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition". Niagara Frontier Publications. Retrieved January 27, 2025.{{cite web}}: |first= has numeric name (help)
  17. ↑ GFA Hall of Fame (PDF), retrieved September 10, 2024
  18. ↑ "Sharon Isbin - Biography". Sharonisbin.com. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  19. ↑ "White House Music Series: Classical". The White House. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Juilliard Guitar Department". Juilliard.edu.
  21. ↑ Aspen Music Festival and School. "Artist Faculty, Sharon Isbin".
  22. ↑ Grow, Kory. "Katy Perry, Sting Stun at David Lynch's Meditation Benefit Concert – Jerry Seinfeld, Angelique Kidjo, Jim James and others also perform and explain relaxation technique's importance to them at New York's Carnegie Hall". Rolling Stone Magazine. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016. Retrieved November 14, 2015.
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