ABOUT SHARON
Aptly pegged “a compact fireball” (La Scena Musicale), Sharon Lee gave her violin concerto debut at the age of ten.
Sharon has served as Concertmaster and Contractor of the Toronto Concert Orchestra under Maestro Kerry Stratton since 2014, and was most recently named the Toronto Concert Orchestra's new Co-Artistic Director, a title she shares with husband Marcus Scholtes. Sharon is Artistic Director of the Toronto Chamber Players, and serves as Music Director of the Korean Canadian Symphony Orchestra, as well as curator for the Korean Canadian Chamber Concerts.
Sharon’s first parlay into orchestral music was the various excellent youth orchestras available in Toronto, and an experience with the New York String Orchestra confirmed that orchestral music could be a life passion. At age 26, Sharon was appointed Principal Second Violin of the Thunder Bay Symphony. Prior to her work as an orchestral musician, Sharon was a fully devoted chamber musician as a founding member of the Cecilia Quartet, which saw her perform across the globe, enjoying fellowships at Schleswig-Holstein Meisterkurse, the Aspen Music Festival, and an official selection to the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
Devoted to music of our time, Sharon takes immense pleasure in backing up legends like Earth Wind and Fire, Barbra Streisand, Michael Bublé, and Josh Groban; working with cutting-edge contemporary ensembles including Toy Piano Composers, CONTACT, Continuum, and Tapestry; and playing original Prog Rock tunes with Dévah Quartet, with whom Sharon is a YAMAHA Canada Artist and D'Addario Canada Artist. Sharon has performed in the world premiere of well over 100 new works.
Sharon’s cumulative educational efforts include providing private lessons at University of Toronto Schools, violin instructor at Axis Music, working with the TDSB/Continuum project (promoting new music and performing new creations by TDSB students), and countless educational workshops with Dévah Quartet including appearances as clinician at Ontario String Association, and Ontario Music Educator’s Conference.
Invited to join the studio of the late Professor Lorand Fenyves at age 16, Sharon performed at the Lorand Fenyves Memorial Concert as his final pupil. Sharon is a recipient of the Lorand Fenyves String Scholarship, and the Ontario Arts Council's Orford String Quartet Award.