Tulsa Chorale Executive Artistic Director: Tim Sharp

TIM SHARP (BM, MCM, DMA) is in his twelfth year as Artistic Director of Tulsa Chorale. Tim has just concluded thirteen years as Executive Director of the American Choral Directors Association, the national professional association for choral conductors, educators, scholars, students, and choral music industry representatives in the United States. He represents choral activity in the USA to the International Federation for Choral Music and serves as Vice-President, and is Vice-President of Musica International, the world’s largest database of choral music. He has recently been appointed as Director of Innovation for Trevecca University’s (Nashville, TN) Center for Community Arts Innovation.

Sharp, an active choral conductor, researcher, and writer, has varied his career with executive positions in higher education, recording, and publishing. Prior to his leadership of ACDA, Sharp was Dean of Fine Arts at Rhodes College, and earlier, Director of Choral Activities at Belmont University. He has varied his vocational work in fields including higher education, non-profit arts administration, recording and music publishing and distribution, and music performance.

Tim’s research and writing focuses pedagogically in conducting and score analysis, and various published essays and books betray his eclectic interests in regional music history, acoustics, creativity, innovation, and aesthetics. He has conducted university, community, church, and children’s choirs, and continues to serve as choral conductor and clinician in the United States and internationally.

Sacred Choral Music Repertoire: Insights for Conductors is Tim’s latest book for choral conductors. Other publications in choral conducting are Relevance in the Choral Art, Innovation in the Ensemble Arts: Sustaining Creativity, Mentoring in the Ensemble Arts: Helping Others Find Their Voice and Collaboration in the Ensemble Arts: Working and Playing Well with Others.

Dr. Sharp is a Life Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, with degrees in music and conducting from The School of Church Music of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Belmont University, and Bluefield College.

Zachary Malavolti has served as the Assistant Artistic Director of the Tulsa Chorale since 2014. During his tenure, he has conducted and prepared performances ranging from intimate chamber music to large choral-orchestral works. He currently directs the Tulsa Chorale Chamber Singers. Before his appointment with the chorus, Malavolti served as Assistant Conductor of The Collegiate Chorale of New York City under James Bagwell. Malavolti holds a Bachelor of Music in Composition from The University of Tulsa and a Master of Music in Conducting from Bard College.  He is currently finishing a dissertation for a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Oklahoma.