Sharon Andrea Choa, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor
www.sharonchoa.co.uk
The inspiration behind Chamber Orchestra Anglia (COA) is the dynamic young conductor Sharon Andrea Choa who founded the orchestra in order to draw together cultural, creative and academic strengths in the UK and particularly in the East Anglia region. Born in Hong Kong and excelling in the violin, Sharon graduated at the Royal Academy of Music studying under Sidney Griller. At King's College, London, she took first class honours and was awarded a PhD for her thesis on the synthesis of sonata and fugal processes of Haydn's music. As conductor, she has worked under the tutelage of David Parry, Diego Masson, Janos Fürst and Jiri Belohlavek and has since performed widely with orchestras in the UK, Germany, Russia, the Czech Republic and the Far East.
As Artistic Director of Chamber Orchestra Anglia, Sharon has led and inspired the orchestra since its inception and introduced new works with acclaimed performances in Norfolk and London. Her direction of the world premiere of Mahler's '
Das Lied von der Erde' sung in Chinese presented at the BBC Proms was much applauded by Dr Jim Pritchard of the Mahler Society. She has collaborated with Griff Rhys Jones in performing Richard Strauss'
Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, and instigated a series of concerts linking music and science disciplines.
Sharon is Director of Performance Studies at the
School of Music at the University of East Anglia (
www.uea.ac.uk). Her ambition to foster youth music in East Anglia has resulted in the founding of COA's Young Musicians' Scheme, coCOA. The Scheme has enjoyed the support from COA's patron, Sir Colin Davis, and BBC Symphony Orchestra's Chief Conductor Jiri Belohlavek; both of whom have conducted workshops for coCOA members and players of the UEA Symphony Orchestra.
Sharon has been nominated as one of the world's leading inspirational women (see
www.asha-foundation.org). Her portrait, together with others chosen around the world, has been exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery and in the South Bank.
Lisa Cassidy is a professional coloratura soprano and enjoys opera, oratorio, jazz and the song repertoire. She has a Masters Degree in Performance from UEA, which she received with distinction, and she also studied for two years at postgraduate level at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Lisa’s extensive recital experience includes appearances alongside Judith Howarth and Malcolm Martineau in The Hub in Edinburgh and she has featured in numerous music festivals across the UK including the Thaxted Festival, The St Peter Mancroft Recital Series, the Viennese Festival at the King of Hearts, The Park Lane Concert Series in Norwich, The Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal Concert Series and The St Lawrence Jewry Music Festival in London. She is a Britten- Pears Young Artist and an alumna of the Live Music Now scheme. Lisa is enthusiastic to use her own experience of creating and building a career in the arts to assist Chamber Orchestra Anglia.
Alex Cordiner
Director
Biography coming up soon!
