Sharon earned a B.A. from Kalamazoo College, an M.A.L.S. from Wesleyan University and an M.M. in vocal performance from The Boston Conservatory. A recipient of the Irving S. Gilmore Grant for Emerging Artists, her operatic and oratorio experience has ranged from the soprano soloist in the Mozart Requiem to Anna in Weill's Seven Deadly Sins to Mimi in La Boheme. Sharon specialized in recitals with emphases on contemporary music, American repertoire and chamber works.
Sharon has taught voice and related areas such as acting and stagecraft, vocal literature, lyric diction and vocal pedagogy for the Conservatory of Music at Capital University in Columbus; OH; The New York University; the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York; Newberry College and Anderson University in South Carolina; Mount Wachusett College in Massachusetts; and Keene State College in New Hampshire. Her students have won numerous competitions, scholarships and fellowships for graduate study. She has directed programs of opera scenes, offered master classes on various topics and led workshops on overcoming performance anxiety for several schools and organizations, including the 2008 NATS National Conference. Sharon has published articles in Classical Singer Magazine and the NATS Journal of Singing. Her book, The Singer's Companion, is available on Amazon and her new book on conquering performance anxiety, The Performer's Companion, is now available on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/author/sharonstohrer 
As we develop a better understanding of performance anxiety and grasp just how widespread it is, sources like Sharon L. Stohrer’s The Performer’s Companion: A Guide to Conquering Performance Anxiety are as important as ever. Written for performers rather than psychoanalysts, the book has a colloquial, conversation style. It always highlights the practical and, in this way, avoids being too dense or verbose. The most significant emphasis of the book is on preparation to help build confidence but also to account for as many performance-day intangibles as possible. Stohrer encourages readers to think of overcoming performance anxiety as a journey as she walks through the steps she finds most useful to the process. Considering how prevalent performance anxiety has become, this book may prove an invaluable tool to assist those hoping to reconnect with the joy of performing. --Brian Manternach, Classical Singer Magazine Stohrer is adamant that there is no quick fix for performance anxiety; instead, the musician embarks on a journey of self-exploration to find ways to alleviate stage fright. She offers guidance through the process. The volume offers valuable pre-performance tips. While some seem self-evident, it is a credit to Stohrer's expertise as an instructor that she does not overlook the obvious. She neatly encapsulates her knowledge in this slim volume. . .this book is an accessible and affordable resource for those struggling with stage fright. . . --Debra Greschner, NATS Journal of Singing |
