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“The surprise was soprano Sharla Nafziger as Norina, whose strong coloratura and charming acting speak of tremendous talent.”
— Opera Canada, Norina in Don Pasquale with Opera York
Nafziger has performed a wide variety of oratorio and concert repertoire, and has appeared with opera companies, symphony orchestras, choral societies and festivals across North America, including appearances with New York City Opera, the symphony orchestras of Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, Colorado, the Florida West Coast Symphony, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Elora Festival (Canada), and is also a regular guest at Bach festivals in Virginia (Shenandoah Valley Bach) and Florida (Bach Festival Society of Winter Park). She has appeared in recital across her native Canada and in Germany and made her New York recital debut at Merkin Hall as the winner of Joy in Singing. She made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Oratorio Society of New York. Appearing with the Choral Arts Society of Washington, she debuted at the Kennedy Center in John Adams’s El Nino. She can be heard on the Telarc label in Die Agyptische Helena (Erste Elfe), on Albany Records in the premiere recording of Larry Nelson’s Clay Songs, and on the ERM label, the premiere recording of Boaz Tarsi’s Concerto for Soprano, which she recorded with the Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra.
“...A constant delight. Her voice is clean and sure. Exquisite emotional expressions…” — Merkin Hall Recital Debut: New York Concert Review
“Sharla Nafziger sang Nannetta with a silvery shimmer.” — Boston Globe
“...But the female star was unmistakably Sharla Nafziger’s Nannetta. A sparkling clear and vivid soprano, with a graceful tone and easy upfront voice, Nafziger brought life and energy to the role of the lovelorn servant." — Boston Herald
For more than two decades Sharla Nafziger has taught both professional and amateur singers. Since 2003 she has served on the faculty of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in NYC, in addition to maintaining her private vocal studio. Classical singers, along with those who sing musical theatre and jazz have found her work with them highly productive in their quest for both vocal freedom and stylization. A former pupil of the late Cornelius Reid, master vocal pedagogue and author of many books, Sharla also studied with two of his protégées; Carol Baggott-Forte in Toronto, and Wendy Sharp in Manhattan.
Sharla’s understanding of vocal function and its physiology has aided in the restoration of damaged voices - nodules, laryngeal paralysis, thyroid malfunction and vocal fatigue. Through her commitment to process, Sharla opens the door to the unique, authentic voice we all possess through specific vocal exercises of vowel, pitch and intensity leading the singer to express his / her own musicality and unique artistry.
“The surprise was soprano Sharla Nafziger as Norina, whose strong coloratura and charming acting speak of tremendous talent.”
— Opera Canada
“Sharla Nafziger...shone as Nannetta, especially in high, moon-struck stretches.” — Opera News