SHARON ISBIN

Classical Guitar,
United States

Multiple GRAMMY winner Sharon Isbin was named the 2020 Musical America Worldwide  Instrumentalist of the Year, the first guitarist ever to receive the honor in their 59-year award history, and was inducted into the 2023 Guitar Foundation of America Hall of Fame receiving their Artistic Achievement Award. She has been soloist with over 200 orchestras, and has performed in the world’s finest halls across 40 countries. Winner of the Munich ARD, Madrid and Toronto Competitions, Germany’s Echo Klassik, and Guitar Player’s Best Classical Guitarist awards, she performed in Scorsese’s Oscar-winning The Departed, the White House by invitation of President Obama, and as the only classical artist in the 2010 Grammy Awards. The acclaimed documentary Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, seen by millions on PBS and abroad, won the ASCAP Television Broadcast Award, and is available on DVD/Blu-ray and Amazon streaming. Recent highlights include sold-out concerts at the Kennedy Center, Kimmel Center, and Carnegie Hall including a collaboration with Sting.

Isbin’s catalogue of over 35 albums has sold over a million copies. Her two recent recordings were named Best of 2020 and feature world premieres composed for her: Affinity showcasing Chris Brubeck’s dazzling guitar concerto, along with works by Brouwer, Tan Dun, Lauro and Danielpour; and Strings for Peace with India’s legendary sarod master Amjad Ali Khan. Her Souvenirs of Spain & Italy with the Pacifica Quartet debuted at #1 on Amazon and #2 on Billboard, and Alma Española, the first Spanish art song album with guitar of its kind in 40 years, was honored with a Grammy Award for Producer of the Year. Her Grammy-winning Journey to the New World with guest Joan Baez spent 63 consecutive weeks on top Billboard charts, and her Latin Grammy-nominated Rodrigo Aranjuez disc with the New York Philharmonic is their only recording with guitar. Other highlights include Bach Complete Lute Suites in landmark editions created with her mentor Rosalyn Tureck, and Sharon Isbin & Friends: Guitar Passions with rock and jazz guests Steve Vai, Heart’s Nancy Wilson, Stanley Jordan and Romero Lubambo.

Isbin has premiered over 80 works written for her by some of the world’s finest composers. Recent world premieres include Song of a Dreaming Sparrow written for her by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Joseph Schwantner which she premiered with the Pacifica Quartet in New York and on tour in 2022, and a concerto by Karen LeFrak with the National Symphony Orchestra. Author of the Classical Guitar Answer Book, she directs the guitar departments at the Aspen Music Festival and The Juilliard School, which she created in 1989. Visit: www.sharonisbin.com

“Isbin’s terrific latest recording evinces a wonderful talent for making fully hers what was written for her … Isbin gives a sparkling, virtuoso account that neatly underscores Brubeck’s bountiful musical syncretism” Gramophone

"Isbin’s expressive and crystal-clear playing make this a must-have for any fan of the guitar concerto! Excellent new music for the guitar” American Record Guide