| Home | Biography | Tour | News | Music | Video | Press | Photos | Publications | Repertoire | Guitars | Contact |
Sharon Isbin

 
In her hands the guitar takes on the precision of a diamond, each note a clear, shining facet that catches, prism-like, a glint of the spectrum.
  New York Times
 
 
Her instrument speaks with a thousand colors ... positively hypnotic.
  Chicago Tribune


News

Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions
 
Isbin, Steve Vai, Photo Afshin Javadi
 
Isbin, Nancy Wilson, Photo David Black
  Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions
Sony Classical 88697-84219-2
 
Guests: Steve Vai, Steve Morse, Nancy Wilson (Heart), Stanley Jordan, Romero Lubambo, Paul Winter, Thiago de Mello, Rosa Passos A guitar tribute album, 7 Premieres
 
WATCH VIDEO   Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions
      with Steve Vai, Nancy Wilson (Heart), and More
WATCH VIDEO   Sharon Isbin Performs Asturias by
      Isaac Albeniz
LISTEN   ‘Guitar Goddess’ feature on Minnesota Public Radio
LISTEN   The Guitar Show feature
LISTEN   Interview on WRTI 90.1 FM Philadelphia
 
Visit the Music page to learn more.



Photo with Steve Vai by Afshin Javadi
Photo with Nancy Wilson by David Black

Portland Performing Arts Festival   Portland Performing Arts Festival
June 2012
Watch Sharon Isbin in concert on Maine Public Broadcasting Network’s Maine Arts! Presents: Guitarist Sharon Isbin at the Portland Performing Arts Festival in a one hour television program archived online.
WATCH VIDEO

National Pulbic Radio   NPR’s All Things Considered
December 27, 2011
Host Robert Siegel interviews Sharon Isbin and Steve Vai about their collaboration on Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions
READ & LISTEN
BBC 4   BBC Radio 4
November 2011
Sharon Isbin
“Legendary guitarist, singer and songwriter, Joan Armatrading meets Sharon Isbin, America’s leading Classical guitarist and winner of 2 Grammys“.
LISTEN
BBC 4   Sharon Isbin Interview & Lesson on GuitarTV
April 2012
WATCH VIDEO

Sharon's 2010 GRAMMY, Staples Center, Los Angeles
 
Sharon Isbin Featured on Grammy.com
  2010 GRAMMY AWARD WINNER
 
Sharon Isbin received a 2010 GRAMMY AWARD for ‘Best Instrumental Soloist Performance (without orchestra)’ for her CD Journey to the New World (Sony). She is the first guitarist in 43 years to receive a 2nd classical Grammy, and the only classical artist to perform in the 52nd Annual Awards.
 
To read her blog about the experience, click here.
To see her headline feature at Grammy.com, click here.

 
#1 Bestselling Classical CD at Amazon.com, iTunes, and BarnesandNoble.com
63 Consecutive Weeks, BILLBOARD Top Classical Crossover Chart
 
NPR NPR’s All Things Considered
June 4, 2009   Read Article & Listen
 
Click Here to Read REVIEWS

Journey to the New World
 
Recording with Joan Baez
  Sharon Isbin’s Journey to the New World with Joan Baez & Mark O’Connor
Sony Classical 88697-45456-2
 
Exclusive Sony Masterworks recording artist Sharon Isbin’s release is a voyage from the British Isles to the New World. She is joined by folk legend Joan Baez and violin virtuoso Mark O’Connor. World premieres: Joan Baez Suite by John Duarte for solo guitar and Strings & Threads Suite for violin and guitar by O’Connor.
 
“Sharon’s exquisite playing allowed me to revisit and fall in love with these songs all over again.”
  Joan Baez
 
WQXR-FM 105.9 New York   LISTEN
KBAQ Radio, CD of the Week   LISTEN
 
Visit the Music page to learn more.

Sharon & Joan Baez in recording studio, Nov. 19, 20007.

Sharon Isbin celebrates with President Obama & First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House following her performance, November 4, 2009
 
Sharon Isbin Performing at the White House, November 4, 2009
 
Sharon Isbin Performs for the President and First Lady at the White House, November 4, 2009
  Sharon Isbin Performs at the White House
 
President Obama and the First Lady listen to Sharon Isbin perform at the White House Evening of Classical Music November 4, 2009.
 
WATCH VIDEO
Sharon Isbin performs at the White House
 
WATCH VIDEO
Sharon Isbin and Joshua Bell Perform at the White House
 
LISTEN
WQXR-FM Interviews Sharon About Performing at the White House

Sharon Isbin and Mark O'Connor at Symphony Space
  Grammy Winners Sharon Isbin & Mark O’Connor Live at Symphony Space
 
Sharon & Mark gave New York premiere of his Strings & Threads Suite for violin & guitar, January 2009.
Click here to watch a video from their performance.

Photo by Rob Fortunato.

The Departed
 
With Thelma Schoonmaker, Martin Scorsese and Howard Shore. Photo by David Fox.
 
Sharon performed at the 2007 Coolidge Awards in Boston honoring Oscar winning film editor Thelma Schoonmaker, pictured here with Martin Scorsese and Howard Shore.
Photo by David Fox.
  SCORSESE’S OSCAR WINNING THE DEPARTED
 
2008 GRAMMY Nomination
 
Sharon Isbin is featured on the soundtrack of Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award winning The Departed starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon. She was also heard on the Awards telecast excerpt viewed by nearly 40 million. 4 ACADEMY AWARDS, including BEST PICTURE and BEST DIRECTOR
 
Winner Golden Globe and 200 ‘Best Picture’ awards.
 
She is featured on 5 tracks of Howard Shore’s GRAMMY-nominated score CD (New Line Records) and as the closing track of Rolling Stones/Van Morrison/Allman Bros./Beach Boys compilation (Warner).
 
Visit the Music page to learn more.

Sharon Isbin: Rodrigo, Villa-Lobos, Ponce
 
Sharon Isbin receives standing ovation with New York Philharmonic
 
Sharon Isbin acknowledges the audience’s standing ovation in her New York Philharmonic debut June 24, 2004, Avery Fisher Hall.
Photo by Chris Lee.
  Sharon Isbin & New York Philharmonic
Warner Classics 2564-60296-2
 
2005 Latin GRAMMY nomination for ‘Best Classical Album
2006 GLAAD Award nomination for ‘Outstanding Music Artist
 
Concertos by Villa-Lobos & Ponce, and Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez in the Philharmonic’s first-ever recording with guitar. 17 weeks BILLBOARD Top Classical Chart.
 
Visit the Music page to learn more.
 
Their June 2004 performances in Avery Fisher Hall were hailed as ‘Perfection’ NY Times, ‘Brilliant’ Toronto Star. Standing ovations and encore for the Philharmonic’s first guitar soloist in 26 years.
See Isbin interview with NY Philharmonic
 
Sharon received a 2006 GLAAD Media Award nomination for ‘Outstanding Music Artist’ for her CD with the New York Philharmonic. Also nominated in this category was Melissa Etheridge.

Journey to the New World   Accolades for Joan Baez Suite
 
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Dallas Morning News

Sharon Isbin - The L Word   Sharon Isbin is a Featured Guest on Season 2 of The L Word.
 
Sharon Isbin performed as a Featured Guest on Showtime TV’s The L Word, broadcast internationally and available on DVD.
 
Click Here to Read More

Tan Dun, Christopher Rouse CD
 
Christopher Rouse, Sharon Isbin, Tan Dun
  GRAMMY AWARD WINNER
Teldec 8573-81830-2
 
Sharon Isbin’s world premiere recording of concertos written for her by Christopher Rouse and Tan Dun (composer of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) received a 2002 GRAMMY Award for Concert de Gaudi for Guitar & Orchestra by Rouse in the category ‘Best Classical Contemporary Composition’ (the first guitar concerto ever to win in this category), and earned Isbin her third GRAMMY nomination (‘Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra’).
 
Visit the Music page to learn more.




Sharon Isbin with Christopher Rouse and Tan Dun. Photo by Steve Sherman.

Sharon Isbin   Echo Klassik Award Winner
 
In June 2002, Sharon Isbin won Germany’s prestigious Echo Klassik Award in the category ‘Best Concert Recording’ for the Rouse/Tan Dun CD. She performed in the award ceremony broadcast on German television for 1 million viewers.
 
Related features about this release on NPR’s Performance Today (May 4, 2001), Town & Country (June 2001), Fanfare (July/August 2001), BarnesandNoble.com (May 2001), Acoustic Guitar (July 2001)

With Hillary Clinton on September 11, 2002, Ground Zero, New York   Sharon Isbin Performs at Ground Zero
 
Sharon Isbin performed at Ground Zero for the internationally televised memorial on September 11, 2002. Pictured here with Hillary Clinton.

Sharon Isbin with Joan Baez   On October 3, 2003, Sharon Isbin premiered the Joan Baez Suite
 
On October 3, 2003, Sharon Isbin premiered the Joan Baez Suite written for her by John Duarte, a seven-movement solo guitar work featuring songs from Joan’s early folk singing career.

Together at Joan Baez’s NYC Town Hall concert in March 2002.

Sharon Isbin performing with Steve Vai, Paris 2005   Steve Vai and Isbin Premiere Vai’s Blossom Suite
 
Rock legend Steve Vai and Isbin premiered Vai’s Blossom Suite in Paris, February 2005, during her weeklong series at the Theatre du Chatelet.

National Pulbic Radio   NPR’s All Things Considered
May 4, 2001
“Robert Siegel interviews Sharon Isbin, a sensation in the world of classical guitar. This year, Isbin became the first classical guitarist to win a Grammy award in nearly three decades, for her CD Dreams of a World.”
READ & LISTEN

Dreams of a World
 
Sharon's 2001 GRAMMY, Staples Center, Los Angeles
  GRAMMY AWARD WINNER!
 
Sharon Isbin received a 2001 Grammy Award for her CD Dreams of a World (Teldec) for ‘Best Instrumental Soloist Performance without orchestra’. She is the first classical guitarist in 28 years to receive a Grammy. The other nominees included pianists Murray Perahia and Evgeny Kissin. The announcement was broadcast to nearly 2 billion television viewers in 180 countries.
 
Visit the Music page to learn more.







At the 43rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, Staples Center in Los Angeles, February 21, 2001. Photo by Scott Gries/ImageDirect.

Journey to the Amazon   GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATION
 
Sharon Isbin received a 1999 Grammy Award nomination for her CD Journey to the Amazon (Teldec). It is the first guitar recording ever to be nominated for ‘Best Classical Crossover Album’. Her recording of Aaron Kernis’ Double Concerto (Argo/Decca) is featured on an album which received a 2000 Grammy nomination for ‘Best Classical Contemporary Composition’.

Christoph Eschenbach, Sharon, Christopher Rouse, January 2000, Germany   Sharon Isbin Premiered Christopher Rouse’s Concert de Gaudi
 
Sharon Isbin premiered Christopher Rouse’s Concert de Gaudi in Hamburg, Germany, January 2, 2000 with conductor Christoph Eschenbach, followed by the Dallas Symphony in March.
 
“It’s uncommonly beautiful and here’s predicting it’s going to be performed and recorded a lot. The work is a salute to Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi... Its emotional impact is reminiscent of Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain... virtuoso performance by Sharon Isbin.”
  Dallas Morning News
 
“Wonderfully eclectic... From the opening swirl of flamenco-style gestures, through the poignant, ballad-like slow movement and the scintillating finale, the score kaleidescopically presents memorably expressive passages.”
  Barrymore Scherer, Public Arts

 
Sharon, Baroque




Sign up to receive Sharon's personal newsletter
with latest news every few months:

Email:


Facebook Twitter YouTube



Cases and Skins for
iPhones, iPads & Laptops
 
From Society6
 
Society6
Photos by J Henry Fair  

 

 
SoloEtte Travel Guitars
| Home | Biography | Tour | News | Music | Video | Press | Photos | Publications | Repertoire | Guitars | Contact |