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About
Artistic Staff |
Artistic Staff
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Elena Sharkova has been Artistic Director
of the Cantabile Youth Singers since 2004 and oversees all
educational and performance aspects of the program and conducts
senior choirs, Ensemble and Vocalise. 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. Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Russia,
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. 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 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 four year old son, Sasha.
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Shane
Troll, Intermediate Choir Music Instructor and assistant
director for Elena Sharkova, is currently the director of music
at Pinewood Elementary School where he oversees 3rd-6th grade
classroom music along with three children's choirs totaling
115 singers. He received his Bachelor of Music in vocal performance
and music education, and his Masters in Music in conducting
from California State University at Chico. While at Chico, Shane
received the Humanities and Fine Arts Outstanding Student Award
along with many other music scholarships and prizes. Mr. Troll's
objective in working for Cantabile is to communicate his own
passion for music in such a way as to instill in his students
an enduring appreciation for experiencing and understanding
great music. |
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Darva Campbell,
Prepartory Choir instructor, is a career music educator,
celebrating 25 years of teaching music this year. Her training
includes doctoral work in Music Education at the University
of Memphis, an M.M. in Orff Schulwerk from Memphis State University,
a B.A. in Music Education from Columbia Christian College.
She has completed three levels of Orff-Schulwerk training,
Orff Masterclass with master teacher Jos Wuytack,
and Kodaly level I at Holy Names, along with a number
of workshops in Dalcroze.
Darva has taught music at many levels, including posts
at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; California State
University, Chico. She also taught in the Alturas School
District in California and the Beaverton School District
in Oregon. She is considered to be an expert in curriculum
design, and has served on the boards of several school
districts. She was the artistic director of the Chico Youth
Chorus for 5 years, and has directed all levels from age
two through high school.
Darva has been a movement specialist in Orff-Level Training
courses
for many years, and has taught Level I, II, and III movement
at the
University of Memphis, at Christopher Newport University
in Virginia,
and basic Orff hours at Oregon State University. In addition,
she
frequently presents clinics and in-services on the process
of Orff-Schulwerk
throughout the United States and abroad. Darva has been a
frequent
clinician at the National Orff Schulwerk Conventions both
in the United
States and in Canada.
Darva is currently a music specialist at Sacred Heart Schools
in Atherton,
where she works with grades 1-5 in general music and directs
the middle school choirs. |
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