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.
Musical Training
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.
Performance History
Founder/Director of Starry Night Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Series and Peterson Conservatory, she has performed as violin soloist and/or concertmaster with many Northwest ensembles, including Orchestra Seattle with Conductor George Shangrow, Whatcom Symphony with Dr. Roger Briggs, Skagit Symphony with Roupen Shakarian, Thalia Symphony with Dr. Eric Hansen, Skagit Valley Chorale, Northwest Community Chorale, Cascade Cantabile, Lynden Choral Society, Northwest Ballet Theater, Gig Harbor Philharmonic, Rainier Symphony, and Port Angeles Symphony. For several seasons she concertized with the Trio Seattle, with Mannfried Funk, cello, and Mayumi Tayake, piano.
Teaching Experience
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.
Conducting Experience
Groups Ms. Peterson has conducted: North Seattle Christian School Orchestra 1988-91, Cascade Youth Symphony Sinfonette1986-88, Mt. Baker Youth Symphony 1992-present, Fidalgo Youth Symphony 1995-present, North Stars Chamber Orchestra, (Summer Concert tours to China-twice, Ireland, Prague/Vienna, Finland, Portugal, and Italy. Musicals she has conducted: Aladdin, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, Fame, The Rose and the Ring, Little Women, Into the Woods, and Tom Sawyer. In 2008-09 she orchestrated and conducted the Starry Night Chamber Orchestra in the Theatre Arts Guild productions of “A Christmas Carol” and “Cinderella”, (and in 2012 she again orchestrated and directed “A Christmas Carol”, In 2007, this time for META). she directed a chamber orchestra concert tour in China, conducting young performers from Mt Baker Youth Symphony, and giving a Master Class at Bei Hua University, and in 2012, she led, trained and conducted young artists in Shanghai, China at the Songjiang Center for the Arts, with her husband, Malcolm. She and her husband, trumpeter Malcolm Peterson, are three- time guest artists at the Monteverde Music Festival, Monteverde Costa Rica. Other engagements: Concertmaster/agent for NW Ballet Theater’s 2012 Nutcracker, Guest Director- Allegra Women’s Choir in Bellingham Washington. Ms. Peterson is Artistic Director of the Starry Night Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Music Series, which has performed seasonal concerts at the Lincoln Theatre in Mt. Vernon since 1997.