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William Sharp (Bass-Baritone) |
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Born: June 1, 1951 - USA |
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The American bass-baritone, William Sharp, studied at Music at Lawrence University (1969-1973); and at Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester (1973-1979). He is the winner of several prestigious awards including the 1987 Carnegie Hall International Music Competition.
Praised by The New York Times as a "sensitive and subtle singer", William Sharp has earned a reputation as a singer of great versatility and continues to garner critical acclaim for his work in concert, recital, opera and recordings.
A frequent guest soloist with the Bethlehem Bach Festival, William Sharp appears regularly with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Society, New York Festival of Songs, Bard Music Festival, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Baldwin-Wallace College Bach Festival and St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble. He is also known for his performances of the early music repertoire, and frequently performs as soloist with the Handel and Haydn Society, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, and American Bach Soloists, in addition to his performances with the Bethlehem Bach Festival.
Highlights of William Sharp's 1998-1999 season are his second solo recital appearance in Washington, D.C. under the auspices of the Vocal Arts Society and performances of "Sam" in Trouble in Tahiti with the Anchorage Symphony. Sharp's engagements in the 1997-1998 season included performances of Pierre's Crusade of the Children with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C. and at Carnegie Hall in New York; Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass and George Frideric Handel's Dixit Dominus with the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra; J.S. Bach's Saint John Passion (BWV 245) with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra; J.S. Bach's Saint Matthew Passion (BWV 244) with the Cathedral Choral Society in Washington, D.C. and Gustav Mahler's Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Arnold Schoenberg arrangement) on tour with the St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble in New York City, Ann Arbor, Kansas City and Ontario.
A highly respected recording artist, William Sharp was nominated for a 1989 Grammy award for Best Classical Vocal Performance for his recording featuring the works of American composers (New World Records). His recording on the Koch label of Leonard Bernstein's Arias and Barcarolles with the New York Festival of Song received a 1990 Grammy award. Other recent recordings include the songs of Marc Blitzstein with The New York Festival of Song (Koch), and J.S. Bach's Mass in B Minor (BWV 232) with The Bach Choir of Bethlehem (Dorian).
William Sharp joined the faculty at the Aspen Music Festival in the summer of 1991. He taught at Eastman School of Music and currently serves on the Voice Faculty at Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Among the singers who have studied with him and/or attended his master-classes: Joshua Hughes (Bass-Baritone). |
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Sources:
Liner notes to Dorian Recordings CD DOR-90253 (Mass in B minor - conducted by Funfgeld - 1998)
Contributed by Aryeh Oron (March 2001, April 2025) |
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Recordings of Bach Cantatas & Other Vocal Works |
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Conductor |
As |
Works |
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Samuel Baron / Yehudi Wyner |
Bass |
BWV 26
Selections from BWV 203 |
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Greg Funfgeld |
Bass |
BWV 232, BWV 245 [Jesus]
[C-7] (2018): BWV 21
[BN21-2] (2021, Video): Arias BWV 73/Mvt. 3+Mvt. 4, BWV 36/Mvt. 5, BWV 159/Mvt. 4, BWV 57/Mvt. 5
[BN21-11] (2021, Video): BWV 140 |
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Anthony Newman |
Bass |
BWV 245 |
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Dwight Oltman |
Bass |
BWV 245 [Jesus , 5th], BWV 245 [Jesus, 8th] |
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Joshua Rifkin |
Bass |
BWV 244 [unreleased] |
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Jeffrey Thomas |
Bass |
BWV 78, BWV 80, BWV 82, BWV 106, BWV 140, BWV 152, BWV 161, BWV 198, BWV 232, BWV 244 |
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Jeffrey Thomas |
Bass |
Member of American Bach Soloists:
Cantatas Vol. 2: BWV 198
V-1 (1992): BWV 232 |
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Links to other Sites |
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William Sharp (Bethlehem)
Pro Musica Vocalists |
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