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 the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica, 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 mezzo-soprano/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 recorded by Hyperion Records in 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, Audivi, 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.
An enthusiastic leader, 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 the high school and collegiate levels. She is also the founder and director of SingSoutheast, a new educational program for undergraduate singers. 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.