Russian-American conductor Elena Sharkova was born and raised in St. Petersburg and received her training at the famed Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire, alma mater to Tchaikovski, Prokofiev, Schostakovich, and Balanchin, and holds a graduate degree in conducting. In 1993 Ms. Sharkova moved to the United States where she continues her varied career as a conductor, music educator, lecturer, workshop leader, and editor.
Most recent engagements have been with Britain’s foremost professional choir the BBC Singers, Grammy-winning male ensemble Chanticleer, Miami-based Grammy-nominated Seraphic Fire, and Houston Chamber Choir.
A frequent guest conductor, Elena Sharkova has had the privilege of inspiring youth and adult singers in eighteen countries across three continents. She has conducted honor choirs and festivals in NYC’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Chicago’s Orchestra Hall, San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall and the Grace Cathedral. In 2014 and 2016 Ms. Sharkova had the privilege of leading KIconcerts’ international music festivals, conducting concerts in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican and at the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
Ms. Sharkova is in her nineteenth year as the chorus master for Symphony Silicon Valley (previously San Jose Symphony) and has prepared the singers for performances of over fifty major works for distinguished conductors such as George Cleve, Carlos View, Jane Glover, John Nelson and many others. Each season she leads the orchestra and chorus in a concert of choral masterpieces as well as in the annual Christmas celebration.
Elena Sharkova has been Artistic Director of the award-winning Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley since 2004. Today the organization serves over 300 youth ages 4-18 and provides a unique and comprehensive choral music education curriculum that fosters deep mind-body-heart engagement, independent thinking, and community.
She has served as editor of “Elena Sharkova Choral Series” for Carl Fischer Publishing since 2011. Her series with National Music Publishing promotes music for treble voices.
