Sherry Overholt (MIMF 2012~2014)

_Soprano Sherry Overholt has combined a long and successful career with operatic and concert performances in addition to her teaching positions at Queens College and at Purchase College Conservatory.  She has sung numerous operatic roles including Gilda, Violetta, Zerlina, Valencienne and Marzelline.  On the concert stage, Ms. Overholt has appeared as guest soloist with many orchestras including the Portland Symphony and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.  In joint operatic recital Ms. Overholt and baritone Lee Velta have sung over 500 concerts with Columbia Artists Community Concerts in addition to singing concerts internationally.  Ms. Overholt has recently performed Ralph Vaughn William’s Dona Nobis Pacem with the Queens College Choral Society and Queens Orchestra.  Her discographies include the title role in Frank Lewin’s opera Burning Bright for Albany Records and in 2012 she will record Vincent Persichetti’s Harmonium for MSR Classics. 

As a private voice teacher in Manhattan and at both colleges, her students have been contracted by opera companies and festivals including New York City Opera, TheMetropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera and The Caramoor International Festival.  Her students have also won numerous competitions including the National Association of Teachers’, Jenny Lind Competitions and the Metropolitan Council Awards. 

This past summer marks the eighth season for Ms. Overholt as Artistic Director and vocal instructor for The Westchester Summer Vocal Institute, which is dedicated to empowering emerging operatic artists.  This past season she began the Queens Summer Vocal Institute, a high school classical vocal program at Queens College where she is the Voice Coordinator. 

Ms. Overholt received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Miami, and her Master of Musical Arts and Doctorate in Vocal Performance from Yale University.