# Sharon Isbin

Sharon Isbin is an American classical guitarist and the founder and director of the guitar department at the Juilliard School.

## Personal life and education

Sharon Isbin was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to attorney Katherine Brudnoy and Herbert S. Isbin, a nuclear scientist and professor at the University of Minnesota. She began her guitar studies at the age of nine with Aldo Minella in Varese, Italy. She later studied with Jeffrey Van, Sophocles Papas, Andrés Segovia, Oscar Ghiglia, and Alirio Díaz for 10 years with keyboard artist and Bach scholar Rosalyn Tureck. Isbin created and directs the guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival and the Juilliard School.
She began practicing Transcendental Meditation at age 17. She received a B.A. cum laude from Yale University and a Master of Music (M.M.) from the Yale School of Music.

## Career
### Performing and recording

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, and in February 2015 she was featured on the Tavis Smiley PBS television series.

### Awards and nominations

Isbin has won the following awards:
* First at the Toronto Guitar Competition (1975)
* Winner of the Munich ARD International Music Competition (1976)
* The Madrid Queen Sofia
* Concert Artists Guild Virtuoso Award (2013)
* Germany's Echo Klassik Award
* Musical America Worldwide Instrumentalist of the Year (2020)
* JoAnn Falletta International Guitar Concerto Competition Lifetime Achievement Award (2020)
* Guitar Foundation of America HALL OF FAME and Artistic Achievement Award (2023)
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. 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 Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. 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.
Isbin is the author of the Classical Guitar Answer Book, and is the director of the Guitar Department at the Aspen Music Festival.
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.

## Awards
### Grammy

* 1999: Grammy nomination for Best Classical Crossover Album, Journey to the Amazon
* 2000: Grammy nomination, Kernis: Double Concerto for Violin and Guitar with Cho-Liang Lin and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
* 2001: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist, Dreams of a World
* 2002: Grammy Award for Rouse: Concert de Gaudi
* 2005: Latin Grammy nomination for Best Classical Album, Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Villa-Lobos: Concerto for guitar; Ponce: Concierto del Sur with the New York Philharmonic
* 2010: Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Soloist, Journey to the New World

### Other awards

* Toronto Guitar competition, first prize, 1975
* Winner Munich ARD International Music Competition, 1976
* Madrid Queen Sofia International Competition, 1979
* Echo Klassik Award, Winner Best Concert Recording, 2002
* Best Classical Guitarist, Guitar Player magazine
* Concert Artists Guild Virtuoso Award, 2013
* ASCAP Television Broadcast Award, 2015
* Little Orchestra Society's Artistic Excellence Award, 2019
* Musical America 2020 Instrumentalist of the Year Award
* Guitar Foundation of America HALL OF FAME and Artistic Achievement Award, 2023

## Discography

Compact Discs (CDs) :
| Date | Title | Label | Catalog Number | Format | Total Playing Time | Notes |
| 1978 | Sharon Isbin Classical Guitar | Sound Environment | TR-1010 | 1 LP | | Music by Brouwer, Ponce, Sor, Lauro, Albeniz |
| 1980 | Sharon Isbin Classical Guitar Vol. II | Sound Environment | TR-1013 | 1 LP | | Music by Bach, Britten, Brouwer |
| 1981 | Sharon Isbin Spanish Works for Guitar | Denon | OF-7012-ND | 1 LP | | With Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony; music by Tarrega, Sainz de la Maza, Rodrigo "Concierto de Aranjuez" |
| 1981 | Sharon Isbin Guitar Recital | Denon | OX-7224-ND | 1 LP | | Music by Dodgson, MacCombie, Scarlatti, Bach |
| 1984 | Dances for Guitar | Pro Arte | CDD 343 | 1 CD/LP | | Music by Barrios Mangore, Rodrigo, Lauro, Vianna, Savio, Turina, Granados, Castelnuovo-Tedesco |
| 1985 | 3 Guitars 3 | Pro Arte | CDD 235 | 1 CD/LP | | With Larry Coryell and Laurindo Almeida; music by Nazareth, Gnattali, de Falla, Almeida, Rodrigo, Coryell |
| 1987 | Brazil, With Love | Concord | CCD-4320 | 1 CD/LP | | With Carlos Barbosa-Lima; music by Jobim, Nazareth, Vianna |
| 1988 | Rhapsody in Blue/West Side Story | Concord | CCD-42012 | 1 CD/LP | | With Carlos Barbosa-Lima; music by Gershwin and Bernstein |
| 1989 | J.S. Bach Complete Lute Suites | EMI/Virgin Classics | VC 7 90712-2 | 1 CD (DDD) | 78:45 | |
| 1990 | Road to the Sun | EMI/Virgin Classics | VC 7-59591-2 | 1 CD | | Music by Sainz de la Maza, Rodrigo, Barrios Mangore, Abreu, Jobim, Tarrega, Brouwer, Villa-Lobos, Albeniz |
| 1991 | Love Songs & Lullabies | EMI/Virgin Classics | VC 7-91750-2 | 1 CD | | With soprano Benita Valente, baritone Thomas Allen, organic percussionist Thiago de Mello |
| 1991 | Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez | EMI/Virgin Classics | 07777-59024-2 | 1 CD | | Rodrigo "Fantasia para un gentilhombre" and "Concierto de Aranjuez", Vivaldi "Concerto in D" |
| 1994 | Nightshade Rounds | EMI/Virgin Classics | VC 5 45024 2 | 1 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). |
| 1995 | American Landscapes | EMI/Angel | 72435-67672-2 | 1 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. |
| 1995 | Black Topaz | New World Records | 9322-80470-2 | 1 CD | | With flutist Carol Wincenc performing world premiere recording of "Snow Dreams" written for Isbin and Wincenc. |
| 1997 | Journey to the Amazon | Warner Classics | 0630-19899-2 | 1 CD | | With Paul Winter, and Gaudencio Thiago de Mello. Music by Almeida, Lauro, Barrios Mangore, Thiago de Mello, Montana, Savio, Brouwer, Canonico, Vianna. 1999 Grammy Nomination |
| 1998 | Wayfaring Stranger | Warner Classics | 3984-23419-2 | 1 CD | | With mezzo-soprano Susanne Mentzer, music by Schubert, Seiber, Niles, Sainz de la Maza, Rodrigo, Granados, Martini, Tarrega, |
| 1999 | Kernis Double Concerto for Violin & Guitar | Decca/Argo | 289-460226-2 | 1 CD | | With 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. |
| 1999 | Dreams of a World | Warner Classics | 3984-25736-2 | 1 CD (DDD) | | Folk-inspired Music for Guitar. 8 World Premieres; Music from Appalachia, Ireland, Greece, Israel, Spain, Cuba, Venezuela and Brazil. 2001 Grammy Award |
| 2001 | Rouse: Concert de Gaudí/Tan Dun: Guitar Concerto Yi2 | Warner Classics | 8573-81830-2 | 1 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 |
| 2003 | Sharon Isbin Plays Baroque Favorites for Guitar | Warner Classics | 0927-45312-2 | 1 CD | | With the Zurich Chamber Orchestra conducted by Howard Griffiths, music by Bach, Vivaldi, Albinoni |
| 2004 | Sharon Isbin – Artist Portrait | Warner Classics | 2564-61591-2 | 1 CD | | Music by Vivaldi, Bach, Rodrigo, Sainz de la Maza, Lauro, Almeida, Thiago de Mello, Niles, Tan Dun, Albinoni, Takemitsu, Tarrega, Martini, Schubert, Rouse |
| 2005 | Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez; Villa-Lobos: Concerto for guitar; Ponce: Concierto del sur | Warner Classics | 2564-60296-2 | 1 CD | | With the New York Philharmonic conducted by José Serebrier. 2005 Latin Grammy Nomination |
| 2006 | The Departed | New Line | 39078 | 1 CD | | Howard Shore's soundtrack to Martin Scorsese's film. 2008 Grammy Nomination |
| 2009 | Journey to the New World | Sony Classical | 88697-45456-2 | 1 CD | | Guest artists: folk singer Joan Baez and violinist Mark O'Connor. 2010 Grammy Award |
| 2011 | Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions | Sony Classical | 88697-84219-2 | 1 CD | | Guest artists: Steve Vai, Stanley Jordan, Nancy Wilson, Steve Morse, Romero Lubambo, Rosa Passos, Thiago de Mello, Paul Winter |
| 2014 | Sharon Isbin: 5 Classic Albums | Warner Classics | 2564-62436-4 | 5 CDs | | Journey to the Amazon, Dreams of a World, Baroque Favorites, Rouse-Tan Dun Concertos, Rodrigo/Villa-Lobos/Ponce Concertos with New York Philharmonic |
| 2015 | Sharon Isbin: Troubadour | Video Artists International | DVD 4580 | Blu-ray 8202 | | Award-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 |
| 2017 | Alma Española: Isabel Leonard & Sharon Isbin | Bridge Records | 9491 | 1 CD | | Composers: Federico García Lorca, Joaquín Rodrigo, Agustín Lara, Manuel de Falla, Xavier Montsalvatge, Francisco Tárrega, Enrique Granados |
| 2019 | Souvenirs of Spain & Italy: Sharon Isbin & Pacifica Quartet | Cedille Records | CDR 90000 190 | 1 CD | | Composers: Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Vivaldi, Turina, Boccherini |
| 2020 | AFFINITY: World Premiere Recordings | ZOHO Music | ZM 202005 | 1 CD | | Guest artists: Maryland Symphony Orchestra & conductor Elizabeth Schulze; Isabel Leonard, voice; Colin Davin, guitar |
| 2020 | STRINGS FOR PEACE: Premieres for Guitar & Sarod | ZOHO Music | ZM 202004 | 1 CD | | Sharon Isbin with Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, sarods; Amit Kavthekar, tabla |
| 2024 | LIVE IN ASPEN: Recorded Live in Concert at the Aspen Music Festival | ZOHO Music | ZM 202405 | 1 CD | | Sharon Isbin with Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Bangash, sarods; Amit Kavthekar, tabla |