Artistic Staff

Cantabile’s artistic staff is comprised of highly-credentialed and qualified music instructors, led by internationally recognized conductor Elena Sharkova, who has been Artistic Director of Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley since 2004. 
      


Shane Troll
Associate Artistic Director, Musicianship Instructor for Ensemble Choir, and Conductor for Preparatory 3 and Intermediate Choirs

Shane Troll joined Cantabile Youth Singers in the fall of 2003 as Intermediate Choir director. Since then, he has build the group into a seventy-voice strong choir of singers aged 9 to 12. In addition to being the Associate Artistic Director of the Cantabile Youth Singers, is currently in his tenth year as the director of music at Pinewood Elementary School where he has overseen the 3rd-6th grade classroom music program along with four children's choirs totaling over 175 singers. Mr. Troll's choirs have received a Unanimous Superior rating at every California Music Educators Association (CMEA) festival they have participated in for the last seven years and were also invited to perform at the 2007 National Convention of American Orff-Schulwerk Association in San Jose. More recently, Mr. Troll presented series of master classes showcasing his approach to children's choir rehearsals at the 2011 Kansas Choral Directors Association Summer Conference, and the 2010 Western and Northwest American Choral Directors Divisional Conferences.

Mr. Troll received his Bachelor of Music in vocal performance and music education, and Masters of Music in conducting from California State University at Chico. He has also completed three levels of training at the San Francisco Orff Course and was certified in 2007.

Since completing his Orff certification, Mr. Troll has been designing a unique educational approach to children's choirs that melds the creative disciplines of both the choral world of Kodaly system and the Orff process. In doing so, he has created a distinctive way of engaging and welcoming each child to a unique singing experience that is challenging and, most importantly, fun.
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Jennah Delp
Assistant Conductor, Ensemble and Vocalise Choirs

Jennah Delp joined the artistic staff in September 2011 as the Assistant Conductor for Ensemble and Vocalise, the premier performance ensembles of Cantabile Youth Singers of Silicon Valley. Ms. Delp earned a Master of Music in Choral Conducting with distinction from Westminster Choir College and undergraduate degrees in Vocal Performance and Music Education from the University of Michigan, summa cum laude. At Westminster, Ms. Delp served as the Assistant Conductor for the prestigious Westminster Choir and Westminster Community Chorus. In this capacity, she prepared choirs for performances of major works, national tours, and the Spoleto Festival USA. She has participated in conducting master classes with such notable master teachers as Robert Sund, Vance George, Elmer Thomas, and Marguerite Brooks, among others. As an active performer, Jennah sings in The Crossing, a professional choral ensemble that champions new repertoire.  She can be heard on Flower of Beauty, a critically acclaimed recording by the Westminster Choir.  This year, Ms. Delp made her Carnegie Hall debut, conducting the Young People’s Chorus of New York City in concert. Jennah recently relocated to California and loves her new home in the Bay Area with her husband, Adam.

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Natalie Einhorn
Preparatory Division Director and Conductor, Preparatory 1 & 2 Choirs

Natalie Einhorn is thrilled to be returning to Cantabile this year. She has a deep passion for guiding young children through the world of music and choral singing. She uses an interactive, full body approach to teaching singing and music theory. Her classes are filled with singing, creative movement, drama and story telling.

In addition to teaching with Cantabile, Ms. Einhorn teaches music and performing arts at Synapse School, K-8th grade, in Menlo Park.  Previously, she taught Pre-K through 5th grade general music and the 2nd through 5th grade choirs for six years at the Nueva School, in Hillsborough. There she founded the Nueva Chamber Singers, a small ensemble of 3rd through 8th graders, and The Staves, a singing group of dedicated teachers, parents, and staff members. These groups sang at school functions, and throughout the greater Hillsborough community. Additionally, Ms. Einhorn was a founding member of the faculty at Helios New School for Gifted Children, in Palo Alto, where she taught for three years.

Natalie has been singing in choirs since childhood and that experience has had a profound impact on her life. She attended the University of California at Santa Cruz where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in music. She then attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she received her Masters Degree in Vocal Performance. Ms. Einhorn has also completed the three levels of Orff Schulwerk training at Mills College.

Natalie now lives in Half Moon Bay with her loving husband and two children, ages 6 and 2.

 

Michael Sohn
Musicianship Instructor

A Cantabile alum (Class of 2008), Michael has sung in every choir level of the organization since age eight. Now in his fourth year as a member of the artistic staff, Mr. Sohn teaches musicianship class to Ensemble singers.


Jeffrey Jones
Accompanist

A homegrown talent of the Bay Area, Jeffrey Jones is now in his sixth year with the Cantabile Youth Chorus. He started his piano studies at the age of 6 in Morgan Hill and made his solo recital debut at the age of 8, playing a program of Beethoven, Schubert and Chopin. He studied at the Oberlin Conservatory with Peter Takacs and at San Jose State University with Gwendolyn Mok. In addition, he has had master classes with internationally acclaimed artists Stephen Hough, Olga Kern, Vladimir Viardo, and Tom LaRatta.

He has won several competition awards, including a first prize at the 2011 US Open Music Competition. He frequently accompanies singers and instrumentalists, and in 2009, he performed at the Mountain Winery with star alto Helen Lokuta for an audience that included Toomas Ilves, President of Estonia. In 2011, he made his concerto debut performing Stravinsky's Piano Concerto with the Redwood Symphony under the baton of Eric Kujawsky.

When he is not with Cantabile, Jeffrey works as the Logistics Coordinator for semiconductor equipment firm Nova Measuring Instruments in Santa Clara, and as an artist-in-residence at the United Congregational Church in Belmont.