Handbell Solo Artist Michèle Sharik

Born and raised in Ohio, Michele began her musical career with the flute and studied composition and flute performance at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati. She began ringing and directing handbell choirs in 1991 and in January, 2002, she moved to the San Francisco Bay area to join America's premier professional classical handbell ensemble, Sonos (http://www.sonos.org).

In addition to touring internationally with Sonos, she teaches handbell lessons and workshops and appears as clinician at regional handbell events. She serves as Director of Handbells for two San Francisco Bay Area churches.

As a Handbell Solo Artist, she has competed in two national Solo/Ensemble events, and is increasingly in demand to take the stage across the United States, Canada and abroad. Past tours have included concerts in Arizona, Michigan, Colorado, Massachusetts and Texas as well as in London and Bristol (England), and Hong Kong (China). Last summer she played her second concert at the historic Dunblane Cathedral in Scotland. She has recently released her first full-length solo CD, "Chimera", to great acclaim.