Sharyn Peterson, violinist, violist, and vocalist, is a versatile performer and experienced instructor of all ages of instrumental and choral groups. Director of Mt. Baker and Fidalgo Youth Symphonies, she is active as an adjudicator, recording studio musician, and has conducted, orchestrated, and performed in numerous Northwest musical theatre productions.
In 2004 she helped to co-found Skagit Opera, was Concertmaster and orchestra agent for five seasons, in which she conducted Amahl and the Night Visitors by Menotti, and performed as Concertmaster in The Mikado, The Barber of Seville, Magic Flute, La Boheme, Carmen, Pirates of Penzance, and many others.
Ms. Peterson trained for several years under the eminent instructors Emanuel Zetlin-violin, and Edison Harris-voice. For conducting, she studied with Vilem Sokol and Dr. Gary Bonner. She performed and toured with the University of Washington Chorale under the direction of Rodney Eichenberg, and received Chamber music instruction from the Philadelphia String Quartet, Christopher Leuba, Sylvia Kind, Claude Frank, and Donald McGinnes, receiving her UW Masters’ Degree in Fine Arts-Violin Performance emphasis. She was also a member of the award-winning Contemporary Group String Quartet (1st and 2nd place in Coleman Chamber Music Competition) while attending the UW School of Music. Her instructors and conductors at Tanglewood Music Festival, where she attended on a full scholarship, included Leonard Bernstein and Seiji Ozawa. She has recently studied violin and pedagogy with Yuri Mihklin, Seattle.
Mrs. Peterson has taught at Seattle Pacific and Western Washington Universities, Skagit Valley College (currently), Sehome High School, Whatcom Hills Waldorf School, and Shuksan Middle School. Currently she provides violin, viola, and voice instruction to private students in the Peterson Conservatory. For several summers she taught vocal technique to young dramatists at META Summer Camps in Mt. Vernon. She recently served as Concertmaster for Grace Experimental Orchestra in Seattle, Karin Stevens’ Dance Troupe in north Seattle, and in the 1st violin section 2016-2020 for the Federal Way Symphony and Lyric Opera performances at the Meydenbauer Hall, Washington.
