Sharon Wei

Sharon Wei is a dynamic and multi-faceted musician, establishing herself as one of the most respected violists on the scene today. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras including Kingston Symphony, Sinfonia Toronto, San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and premiered Mascall’s “Ziigwan” concerto with London Symphonia. She has performed recital tours with Debut Atlantic and Prairie Debut.

As a chamber musician, she regularly takes part at festivals such as Marlboro, Verbier, Banff, Seattle and Ravinia. She is the violist of the award-winning New Orford String Quartet and has performed with renowned musicians including James Ehnes, Peter Wiley, Gary Hoffman, Claude Frank, Joseph Silverstein, the Amernet, and St. Lawrence String Quartets. Sharon co-founded Ensemble Made in Canada in 2006 and their Mosaïque Project won a 2021 JUNO for Classical Album of the Year which toured across Canada in both traditional venues and eclectic ones such as the seabed of Hopewell Rocks at low tide.

Sharon has been guest principal violist of the Cincinnati Symphony, Canadian Opera Company, and Ensemble Matheus in Paris. She recorded with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on their Grammy recording of Ives Symphonies and Messaien’s Turangalila with the Toronto Symphony.

Sharon was on faculty at Yale and Stanford University and is currently Associate Professor of viola and was acting Dean of Research at Western University. She has given masterclasses at the American Viola Society Festival, Beijing Conservatory and universities across Canada. In summers she is a regular faculty violist at Curtis Summerfest, Scotia Festival, Toronto Summer Music, and Orford Academy. At Western Sharon created a course in which students learn off-stage initiatives such as networking, grant writing, and managing finances. Sharon won the viola prize at Yale University and has been the recipient of grants through FACTOR and the Canada and Ontario Councils for the Arts.