WILLIAM SHARP (baritone) is a consummate artist possessing the rare combination of vocal beauty, sensitivity, and charisma. Praised by The New York Times as a “sensitive and subtle singer” who is able to evoke “the special character of every song that he sings,” Mr. Sharp has earned a reputation as a singer of great versatility and continues to garner critical acclaim for his work in concerts, recitals, operas, and recordings. Mr. Sharp has appeared throughout the United States with major orchestras and music festivals. In recent seasons he has performed with the New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, National Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. He is a frequent participant in Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Colorado Music Festival, and the Marlboro Music Festival. Mr. Sharp also enjoys his work in the performance of baroque and pre-baroque music. He has made numerous appearances with the Bach Aria Group, the Handel and Haydn Society, and the Maryland Handel Festival. In the 2003-04 season, William Sharp debuted with the Boston Philharmonic for performances of Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen. He looks forward to several return engagements, including the Bethlehem Bach Festival for performances of the St. John Passion, the Mass in B minor and selected cantatas; the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to sing works of Barber, Bernstein and Schickele; and the Da Camera Society of Houston for an evening of songs by Schumann, Brahms, and Wolf. Engagements for William Sharp in 2002-03 included the opening of Da Camera of Houston’s concert season with a program of songs by American composers. Further engagements included the Christmas Oratorio with the Bethlehem Bach Festival, a program of Charles Ives’ songs presented by the Oregon Symphony, and a gala performance celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the New York Festival of Song. During the 2001-02 season, Mr. Sharp’s performances included two engagements with Da Camera of Houston, Schumann’s Dichterliebe, and “Marcel Proust’s Paris,” a program of songs by French composers. Last season, Mr. Sharp also performed Harbison’s Words from Peterson with the Boston Symphony Chamber Players. William Sharp was nominated for a 1989 Grammy award for Best Classical Vocal Performance for his recording featuring the works of American composers such as Virgil Thomson and Lee Hoiby on the New World Records label. Mr. Sharp can also be heard on the 1990 Grammy award-winning, world premiere recording of Leonard Bernstein’s Arias and Barcarolles on the Koch International label. Other recent recordings of Mr. Sharp’s include the songs of Marc Blitzstein with The New York Festival of Song (Koch), J.S. Bach solo cantatas with the American Bach Soloists (Koch), and a collaboration with soprano Judith Kaye and pianist Steven Blier on Gershwin’s Songs and Duets. Mr. Sharp has also recorded for Vox-Turnabout, Newport Classics, Columbia Records, Nonesuch, and CRI. William Sharp is the winner of the 1987 Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition.