Sharon J. Paul is the Robert M. Trotter Chair of Music, Director of Choral Activities, and Chair of Vocal and Choral Studies at the University of Oregon, where she teaches graduate courses in choral conducting, repertoire, and pedagogy and conducts the internationally award-winning UO Chamber Choir and University Singers. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in choral conducting from Stanford University, a Master of Fine Arts in conducting from UCLA, and a Bachelor of Arts in music from Pomona College.
The University of Oregon Chamber Choir, under her direction, participated in two recent international festivals, winning First Prize in the 2013 Fleischmann International Trophy Competition at the Cork International Choral Festival in Cork, Ireland and taking top honors in two categories at the 2011 Tallinn International Choral Festival in Tallinn, Estonia. In addition, they have performed through juried audition at state and division conferences for the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education. In the summer of 2014 the Chamber Choir became a resident ensemble at the Oregon Bach Festival, performing under the direction of Helmuth Rilling and Matthew Halls. The University of Oregon Chamber Choir is one of 10 choirs from around the world invited to compete at the prestigious International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf Germany in May 2015.
Dr. Paul served as Artistic Director of the San Francisco Girls Chorus (SFGC) and conductor of Chorissima and Virtuose, the organization’s acclaimed performance ensembles, from 1992 to July 2000. Under her leadership, the chorus released four compact discs, premiered major works by composers such as Chen Yi and Jake Heggie, represented the United States at four international festivals, and performed at the California Music Educators’ state conference, the American Choral Directors’ Western Division conference, and the International Society for Music Education’s international conference. In June 2000 the SFGC was the first youth chorus to win the Margaret Hillis Achievement Award for Choral Excellence, a national honor presented by Chorus America. In the same year they were also awarded an ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming.
From 1984 to 1992, Dr. Paul served as Director of Choral Activities at California State University, Chico, where she directed a large choral program and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting, choral literature, and the humanities. In 1991 Dr. Paul received the Outstanding Teacher Award at CSU, Chico.
Dr. Paul has prepared singers for performances under world-class conductors such as Helmuth Rilling, Matthew Halls, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Herbert Blomstedt. She has presented interest sessions at regional, state, division, national, and international music conferences and appears frequently as adjudicator, clinician, and honor choir director throughout the United States, with recent engagements in Pennsylvania, California, Texas, Georgia, and Washington. In February 2014 Dr. Paul was honored to deliver the keynote address at the 50th Anniversary Conference of the American Choral Directors Association’s Western Division. She is the recipient of a 2014-15 Faculty Excellence Award from the University of Oregon.