Artistic Staff

Artistic Director and Conductor, Ensemble and Vocalise Choirs

Assistant Artistic Director, Musicianship Instructor and Conductor, Preparatory 3 & Intermediate Choirs

Mary Lynne McLaughlin

Conductor, Preparatory 1 Choir

Tiffany Barry

Conductor, Preparatory 1 & 2 Choirs

Michael Sohn

Musicianship Instructor

Jeffrey Jones

Accompanist

Elena Sharkova

Artistic Director and Conductor, Ensemble and Vocalise Choirs

Elena Sharkova has been Artistic Director of the Cantabile Youth Singers since 2004 and oversees all educational and performance aspects of the program, in addition to conducting the Ensemble and Vocalise. A native of St. Petersburg, Russia, Ms. Sharkova arrived in the Bay Area in 1998 to join the faculty at San

Jose State University where she served as Director of Choral Activities, conducting three choirs and teaching classes in voice, choral conducting, and music education until spring 2006. In her ninth year as Artistic Director of Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale (formerly San Jose State University Chorale), Elena prepares and conducts the chorus in five programs each season at the California Theatre in San Jose. Ms. Sharkova received a Bachelor’s Degree in music education and piano and subsequently a Master’s in choral conducting from the Rimski-Korsakov State Conservatory in St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon graduation, she was appointed Chair of the Choral Department of the Preparatory Music School at the conservatory. There she conducted four children’s choruses (ages 3 to 19) and taught the innovative Ogorodnov Method to graduate conducting students. Elena is delighted to be working with young voices again, this time in North America! In demand nationally and internationally as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, Ms. Sharkova has lectured extensively on Russian choral tradition and premiered several contemporary Russian major choral works. She has presented workshops and clinics for the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), the California Music Educators Association (CMEA), and the Association of Kodaly Educators. Elena has conducted children’s, community, university, and professional choirs and orchestras in the USA, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Baltic republics, Scandinavia, and Russia. With Cantabile Youth Singers, she made her Carnegie Hall debut in June 2005 and performed at the American Orff-Schulwerk Association 2007 National Convention. Elena’s most recent engagements include Texas, Missouri, and Kansas All-State Honor Choirs and the American Choral Directors Association South West Division 2008 Convention Treble Choir. Ms. Sharkova lives in San Jose with her wine-maker husband, Tony, and their five-year-old son, Sasha.

Shane Troll

Assistant Artistic Director, Conductor, Preparatory 3 & Intermediate Choirs, and Musicianship Instructor

Shane Troll, in addition to serving as the Associate Artistic Director of Cantabile Youth Singers, is currently the director of music at Pinewood Elementary School, where he oversees the 3rd–6th grade classroom music program along with three children’s choirs totaling over 100 singers. Mr. Troll is especially proud of the fact that his top children’s chorus has received a Unanimous Superior rating at every CMEA festival it has participated in for the last five years. Most recently his choirs were invited to perform at the 2007 National Orff Convention.
Mr. Troll received his Bachelor of Music in vocal performance and music education and his Masters in Music in conducting from California State University at Chico, where he received the Humanities and Fine Arts Outstanding Student Award along with many other music scholarships and prizes. He has also completed three levels of training at the San Francisco Orff Course. Since completing his Orff certification, Mr. Troll has been designing a unique educational approach that melds the disciplines of the choral world and the Orff process, creating a distinctive way of engaging and welcoming each child to a singing experience that is challenging and, most importantly, fun.
Mr. Troll’s objective in working with Cantabile is twofold: to communicate his own passion for music in such a way as to instill in his students an enduring appreciation for experiencing and understanding quality choral music; and to train young voices to reach their maximum potential for providing a rich choral sound.

Mary Lynne McLaughlin

Conductor, Preparatory 1 Choir

Mary Lynne McLaughlin is excited to join the Cantabile Youth Singers this season as Preparatory choirs music instructor. She is looking forward to working with our youngest singers and Cantabile’s talented staff. Ms. McLaughlin and her family have been involved with Cantabile for two years – her daughters Katie and Kelly are starting their third season in the Intermediate choir, where she served as Choir Parent.
Ms. McLaughlin is an expert in early childhood music development and has been a certified Music Together teacher for seven years. She teaches Music Together three days a week in Saratoga, Campbell, and Los Gatos. She loves to share the joy of music- making with young children and their families.
Ms. McLaughlin has many years of church choral directing experience. She has led both the adult choir and the children’s choir for several years. She has discovered that the children’s choir is where her true passion lies.
Music has been a life-long pursuit. As one of eight children in a musical family, Mary Lynne grew up learning classical piano and singing with her family and in choirs. After high school, she was a member of a choral group that toured in Europe. Her musical growth continued as a young adult, when she concentrated on learning to play the flute. She continues to add musical instruments to her skill base by learning to play the guitar this summer.
Ms. McLaughlin is in her fourth season as an alto in the Symphony Silicon Valley Chorale – an activity she describes as a "life highlight."

Tiffany Barry

Conductor, Preparatory 1 & 2 Choirs

Tiffany Barry We are excited to announce the newest addition to the Cantabile Artistic Staff, Tiffany Barry. Ms. Barry received her Bachelor of Arts in Music, Vocal Performance, and a Music Teaching Credential from San Jose State University. While at SJSU, she performed and traveled extensively with the world-renowned Choraliers and performed in the chorus with Opera San Jose. Ms. Barry has additionally received her Orff-Schulwerk Certification at the San Francisco School, Orff Institute West. Considering herself a life-long learner, she believes deeply in the duality of the teacher/student role in that "the teacher is the student is the teacher." For this reason, Ms. Barry is more than thrilled to collaborate with the talented Cantabile Staff and get acquainted with the young aspiring singers.

In addition to Cantabile, Ms. Barry is also the Music Director of Farnham and Sartorette Schools in the Cambrian School District, San Jose. Not only does she teach General Music from Kindergarten through 5th grade and Beginning Band for 4th and 5th graders, but she also directs the district's Children's Choir for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students. After just five years with Cambrian School District, Ms. Barry was recently awarded Teacher of the Year at Sartorette School for her outstanding contribution and dedication to the music program. Ms. Barry resides in San Jose with her husband, Marcus, and their two children, 5-year-old Fiona and 2-year-old Luke

Michael Sohn

Musicianship Instructor

Michael Sohn

Jeffrey Jones

Accompanist

Jeffrey Jones, pianist since the age of six, Jeffrey Jones attended the Oberlin College of Arts and Sciences and San Jose State University, receiving his B.Mus. in piano performance with cum laude honors at San Jose State University. He has studied with JoAnn Pruitt, Peter Takacs, and Gwendolyn Mok.