About
Atlanta-based mezzo-soprano, Sandy Sharis, is an arranger of vocal music and an active performer of oratorio, early music, and choral music. As a soloist, Sandy has performed in venues such as St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, the Peace Center, Duke Chapel, the Arsht Center, Woolsey Hall, and other venues in the US and Europe. She has recently performed the alto solos in J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor, Weihnachtsoratorium, and Magnificat; Handel’s Messiah and l’Allegro; and Amy Beach’s Canticle of the Sun, which was commercially recorded by Hyperion Records in spring of 2023.
In addition to her solo work, Sandy has enjoyed performing with choral ensembles such as Servire, Seraphic Fire, the VOCES8 US Scholars, Chicora Voices, Franklin Chamber Choir, and others. She has also performed with early music groups such as The Sebastians and the Mallarmé Players.
While studying under Dr. Scott McCoy at The Ohio State University, Sandy was selected winner of their Concerto Competition, the Wilson Vocal Competition, the Graduate Vocal Achievement award, and the regional NATS Artist Awards competition (Great Lakes). At OSU, she was a soloist with the Men's Glee Club (Dr. Robert Ward) at the 2020 OMEA Conference and also performed the operatic roles of Cherubino in Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro and Le Prince Charmant in Viardot's Cendrillon.
As a music director, Sandy has held positions as director of the Furman University Chancel Choir, student conductor of Furman Singers, and chorus master at Aquilon Music Festival, as well as co-founder and/or director of a cappella groups at grade school and collegiate levels. Sandy is currently launching creative projects in the Atlanta area in an effort to cultivate local talent and innovate presentations of group singing in Georgia.
Sandy has arranged music for SSAA and TTBB a cappella groups, as well as SATB choir. Her most recent arrangement, Georgia On My Mind, was recorded by Servire and will soon be released on all streaming platforms through VOCES8 Records.
Sandy holds a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Furman University, master’s degrees in voice performance and pedagogy from The Ohio State University, and an M.M.A. degree in Early Music, Oratorio, and Art Song from Yale’s Institute of Sacred Music.