Biography

Sharon Lavery’s extensive career has led her to conduct in many concert halls across the United States, including Carnegie Hall in New York City. Currently, she serves as resident conductor of the USC Thornton Symphony, Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. This position, created especially for her by director of orchestras Larry J. Livingston, has allowed her to collaborate with such renowned conductors as Sergiu Comissiona, Jorge Mester, H. Robert Reynolds, Stanislaw Skrowacewski, Carl St.Clair and John Williams. She has led the USC Thornton ensembles in concert on many occasions and dedicated seven years to her post as music director of the Thornton Concert Orchestra. In addition to these duties at USC Thornton, Lavery teaches conducting classes.

Outside of USC, Lavery is active on a local and international basis. In December of 2007, she won the position of music director for the Downey Symphony (CA) and currently holds the post of cover conductor for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra of Orange County (CA). She has led the La Jolla Symphony in concert, served as assistant conductor to the Pasadena Symphony and, for many years, was associate conductor of the Herbert Zipper Orchestra of Los Angeles. Previously, Lavery served as music director of the MUSE International Music Day festival in Chiba, Japan.

Hailing from Ossining, New York, Lavery received her bachelor of music education degree from Michigan State University and master of music in clarinet performance from the New England Conservatory of Music. She also earned a master of music in orchestral conducting from USC Thornton, receiving the Leonard Bernstein Memorial Scholarship for two consecutive years.