There was a time when Sharon Isbin may have been among those landing a space probe on a comet.
As a youngster, Isbin wanted to be a rocket scientist, something her father used as an incentive to encourage her other interest. "He actually would say I couldn't launch my rockets until I'd put in an hour on the guitar," Isbin recalls. "So that got me to continue practicing until I got serious about the instrument."
Isbin was serious enough that she won a Minnesota Orchestra-sponsored competition at age 14. "The award was to perform with the orchestra as a soloist," she says. "Overnight I decided that playing in front of 10,000 people was even more fun than launching my worms and grasshoppers into space so I decided, that's it. Enough with the science stuff, I'm going to become a guitarist."
That decision has led the Minneapolis-born guitarist to become one of the world's most revered classical musicians. She's performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the Royal Concertgebouw; from A Prairie Home Companion to Showtime Television's hit series The L Word; from New York City's 92nd Street Y to the White House. She's played as a soloist with orchestras throughout the world and has jammed with genre-spanning artists like Joan Baez and Steve Vai. And then there are all the Grammy Awards and a raft of other accolades.
Now, Isbin is the subject of a new documentary, Sharon Isbin: Troubadour. Produced by Susan Dangel and premiered at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival in April 2014, the film combines performance and narrative to tell the story of Isbin's artistic trajectory. More than a curriculum vitae, the documentary offers an unprecedented look at Isbin's personal story. "I think that people are very touched by the personal side of things," Isbin says. "I'm very open about my life in a way that I've never been before in public. And I think people really appreciate getting to know me in a way that is more than just the artist or musician."
Sharon Isbin: Troubadour is scheduled to air in the Twin Cities on TPT 2 on Friday, Jan. 9, at 9:30 p.m., and again on TPT Life on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 3 p.m.
The documentary shows Isbin performing with first-tier orchestras and mixing with composers — even with tennis star Martina Navratilova. But most important to Isbin is the deeper message of the film. "What's fun for me is to have people tell me their impressions about how it has inspired them to go back to their work with a renewed sense of passion and belief," she says. "Somehow the film makes them feel that anything is possible."
Sharon Isbin and Romero Lubambo play at the Dakota Jazz Club in Minneapolis on Tuesday, Nov. 25, at 7 p.m.
Love the music?
Show your support by making a gift to YourClassical.
Each day, we’re here for you with thoughtful streams that set the tone for your day – not to mention the stories and programs that inspire you to new discovery and help you explore the music you love.
YourClassical is available for free, because we are listener-supported public media. Take a moment to make your gift today.
