In Wednesday’s (11/26) Wall Street Journal, Alexandra Wolfe profiles Sharon Isbin, “one of the world’s pre-eminent classical guitarists at age 58…. As a guitarist in the classical music world, and as a woman in the guitar community, Ms. Isbin has had a steep climb in her career. This month, American Public Television will release a new documentary called ‘Sharon Isbin: Troubadour,’ tracking her rise as a musical pioneer.” In the interview, Isbin says that documentary producer “ ‘Susan Dangel introduced herself to me at a rehearsal with the New York Philharmonic. It took us five years…. I really got used to being followed around by a camera crew and they were very unimposing. They even came with me to Italy. We were in Venice together on the gondolas.’ … She credits her trajectory in part to her refusal to accept the word ‘no.’ … It took her eight years to persuade composer John Corigliano to agree to write a piece for her…. These days, she is working with jazz musician Chris Brubeck on a concerto that she’ll perform in April with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra, and early next year she’ll go on tour with Metropolitan Opera singer Isabel Leonard.”
Posted December 1, 2014
