“A wonderful documentary of an artist at the peak of her
career. ... Isbin is extraordinarily articulate and
charismatic, and as glamourous and beautiful as ever—and
clearly deeply devoted to her art. ... Sound and video on the
Blu-ray are exceptional, and the production superb. If you
only know a few of Isbin’s contributions, you’ll find this a
revelation. If you already know what a treasure she is, this
will be a delightful hour.”
American Record Guide
Read Article (PDF)
“Winning documentary ... a testament to Isbin’s curiosity, imagination and mesmerizing command.”
Gramophone
Read Article (PDF)
“Sharon Isbin: Troubadour is a wonderful piece that artfully shares this
artist’s passion for musical creation and exploration.... Fantastic ... wonderful to watch.”
Guitar World
“The legion of admirers of master guitarist Sharon Isbin will welcome
this new release. ... fun and inspirational, with perfect video ... Fine
film about a legend in her own time.”
Classical CD Review
“The most important, beautiful, memorable, moving documentary about a musician and her mission EVER made!”
Murry Sidlin, Conductor/Creator of
the award winning documentary Defiant Requiem
“I loved your documentary. Your journey is fascinating, and your music so
beautiful and wonderful to experience—extraordinary! You are a true
pioneer who has changed the landscape forever, and a tremendous role
model for boys and girls to follow their dreams and believe that
anything is possible.”
Billie Jean King
“A loving, thoughtful and richly photographed documentary portrait of
the world’s most eminent classical guitarist. Isbin’s story is an
inspiration—from her ascent to the peak of the male-dominated field of
classical guitar to her tireless championing of new works for guitar and
quest for new musical worlds to conquer. Don’t miss it!”
Michael Anthony, critic, Star Tribune (Minneapolis)
“Sharon Isbin: Troubadour goes far beyond the expectations of an
artist-portrait documentary. The result is a look inside a life as rich,
as dazzling, as engaging and as playful as the subject’s acclaimed
artistry, a highly entertaining portrayal of a seemingly unlikely life’s
journey.”
Steve Hochman, music journalist,
Los Angeles Times, KPCC, Grammy.com
“I was deeply moved by this splendid and brilliant documentary. Artfully
directed and edited, it gives a wonderful view of Sharon Isbin as a
musician, performing artist, teacher, person, and creator of a legacy of
compositions.”
Michael Charry, author George Szell: A Life
“Like Isbin’s playing, the documentary and its editing flow
effortlessly. It helps that the guitarist has led a remarkable life and
the wealth of cameos make this a delightful portrait. What makes Isbin
so remarkable is that she bridges a number of different performance
styles and traditions, she brings her high level of musicality to all
music, and she never loses sight of music being an emotional and
communicative medium of expression. With the nuances and sensitivity of
her playing, she is fluent in making music that touches hearts and
minds, reaching wide audiences and recruiting worldwide to the joys and
delights of the classical, and not-so-classical, guitar.”
The Boston Musical Intelligencer |
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EuroArts
April 2016
EuroArts is the
exclusive worldwide distributor of Sharon Isbin: Troubadour to
television networks outside the United States.
See Catalogue Listing |
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Sharon Isbin: Portrait
March 17, 2016
She is the guitar woman par excellence, not only in America but around
the world; she has done more for this instrument than any musician since
the legendary Andrés Segovia. Sharon Isbin’s living room is adorned with
Grammy Awards and other awards, she regularly plays to packed halls, her
CDs sell millions of copies ... PBS has shown a wonderful documentary,
Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, now on DVD in Europe.
Read Article (PDF) |
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Tavis Smiley
Monday February 16, 2015
Sharon Isbin joins celebrated talk
show host and author Tavis Smiley on his nationally
syndicated PBS television show. Their lively discussion
explores how turtles and tapirs shaped her CD of music from
the Amazon; how color, lyricism and vibrato create soul; and
the new documentary on DVD/Blu-ray, Sharon Isbin:
Troubadour.
Watch Here |
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The Wall Street Journal
November 26, 2014
Sharon Isbin: Notes From a Classical Guitarist
Sharon Isbin, a pioneer in classical guitar, faced a steep
career climb, but she refused to accept the possibility of
failure
“As a guitarist in the classical music world, and as a woman
in the guitar community, Ms. Isbin has had a steep climb in
her career. This month, American Public Television will
release a new documentary called ‘Sharon Isbin: Troubadour’,
tracking her rise as a musical pioneer.”
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NPR / Here & Now
December 4, 2014
Sharon Isbin, Guitarist Extraordinaire
“Sharon Isbin: Troubadour”,
a documentary on her career, is
airing through March on public television stations around
the country. Isbin brought her guitar along and told Here &
Now’s Peter O’Dowd why she thinks the guitar is “one of the
most extraordinary instruments.”
The show is broadcast on over 380 stations to 3.6 million listeners.
Read Article & Listen |
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Guitar Player
Holiday 2014
Cosmic Traveler
Sharon Isbin Continues Her Musical Journey with Troubadour
In the current documentary, Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, First Lady
Michelle Obama is seen saying, “Sharon’s father promised her that if she
practiced guitar for an hour, she could go outside and launch her model
rockets.” Eventually her amazing classical guitar talents would get her
music onto actual rockets, on the NASA Space Shuttle as well as the
Russian space station Mir. Talk about a trajectory. For the uninitiated,
there has simply never been a better time to discover why so many people
call Isbin “the world’s premier classical guitarist”.
Read Article (PDF) |
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The New York Times
January 2, 2015
Sharon Isbin: Seeking Out Serenity
“Sharon Isbin’s living room is decorated with two Grammy Awards and a
keepsake from her time performing in the Amazon: a handcrafted
poison-dart gun. (It does not work.) She lives on the Upper West Side
with a view of the Hudson River and of a statue of her heroine, Eleanor
Roosevelt. Ms. Isbin, has been a trailblazer both for female musicians
and for the guitar’s place in the classical music world.”
Read Article |
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Audiophile Audition
May 2015
5 Stars ***** Review
The documentary explores the inspiring journey the classical guitarist
has taken, which has expanded the landscape of the guitar in classical
music. ... The image quality of this Blu-ray, originally made for showing
on public television, is excellent.
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Acoustic Guitar
May 2015
Smashing Through Glass Ceilings
Isbin is not only the first female classical guitarist to have won a
Grammy Award, the only guitarist to record an album with the New York
Philharmonic, and the first director of Juilliard’s prestigious guitar
department, now, thanks to a new film, she is also the only female
classical guitarist to be the subject of a nationally televised
documentary.
Read Article |
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Classical Guitar
Spring 2015
‘The Face of Classical Guitar’
Troubadour traces the career of the guitarist from her early days as a
youthful science whiz, who blasted grasshoppers into the abyss on a
homemade rocket, to her lofty position, to quote one contemporary in the
film as, “the face of classical guitar”.
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Making Music
May/June 2015
Troubadour Unveils the Mysteries of Classical Guitar
At 17, Isbin began practicing transcendental meditation, which she says
helps her in her career. “It has so many benefits because it allows you
to focus on what is positive in life and be even more creative”.
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Guitar Girl Magazine
May 2015
Review of Documentary ‘Sharon Isbin: Troubadour’
In-depth and inspiring documentary ... Not only will viewers learn about
Ms. Isbin’s background, they will also be treated to performances by
this tenacious and talented Troubadour.
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Soundboard
Spring 2015
Sharon Isbin’s Visionary Legacy
[Her] commitment to new compositions, in the midst of one of the most
successful concert careers of any modern classical guitarist, is
remarkable. Along with performances on the world’s grandest stages, and
in film and television, Isbin has embraced the pursuit of new music with
fervor, using her recognition as a pulpit from which to champion these
works.
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Teaching Music
April 2015
“Music is a valuable part of our culture. It’s as important as studying
math or literature, and it should be part of the process of education.
Music is really the essence of creating beauty in our world.”
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UTNE Reader
January 12, 2015
Celebrating Guitar Virtuoso Sharon Isbin
Sharon Isbin is widely regarded as one of the foremost guitar players in
the world. She’s collaborated with and cultivated the respect of
musicians from numerous genres outside the classical genre.
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Pollstar
November 17, 2014
The Passion of Sharon Isbin
Sharon Isbin talks to Pollstar about Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, airing
now on public television stations. The film gives a look at how the
Grammy Award-winning musician, who has been called the “pre-eminent
guitarist of our time” and “the Monet of the classical guitar,” broke
into the world of classical music as well as the male-dominated field of
guitarists.
Read Article |
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American Public Television (APT) Press Release
November 2014
Sharon Isbin: Troubadour
Performance Documentary Shines Spotlight on Guitar Virtuoso
Premieres on Public Television in November 2014
Read the Release |
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GRAMMY-Winning Guitarist Sharon Isbin Will Be The Subject
of a Documentary, To Be Broadcast Nationally On Television Nov-Dec
October 10, 2014
Sharon Isbin: Troubadour explores the trailblazing performer’s
extraordinary career, with guests including Michelle Obama, Joan Baez,
Martina Navratilova and more.
“She has broken every glass ceiling for guitar and for women in her
field.”
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Guitar World
October 2014
Sharon Isbin Talks “Troubadour” Documentary and More
Sharon Isbin: Troubadour is a wonderful piece that artfully
shares this artist’s passion for musical creation and exploration. Isbin
has a pioneering spirit, and has often found a way around obstacles and
embraced genre-bending projects.
Read Article |
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Examiner.com
April 12, 2014
‘Sharon Isbin: Troubadour’ documents the ‘fearless’ classical guitarist
Following Thursday’s New York premiere of the 57-minute documentary
Sharon Isbin: Troubadour for a full house at Lincoln Center's Bruno
Walter Auditorium, its producer Susan Dangel,
calling Isbin a “one-of-a-kind artist”, invoked the “fearless” tag
ascribed to her in the film by composer Tan Dun.
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