Winner of the 2015 ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Television Broadcast Award, this one-hour documentary portrait of multiple GRAMMY-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin shows us a trailblazing performer and teacher who over the course of her career has broken through numerous barriers to rise to the top of a traditionally male-dominated field. Sharon Isbin: Troubadour, produced by Susan Dangel, explores what it takes to nurture a dream against all odds to become a world class musician. It has been seen by millions through American Public Television’s broadcast on over 200 public television stations throughout the U.S. since November 2014. Available on DVD and Blu-ray on the Video Artists International label, the video editions also include full-length performances and extra scenes not seen in the documentary.
Narrated by NPR’s Susan Stamberg, the film combines performance and documentary focusing on Sharon Isbin’s unusual and inspiring journey which has expanded and transformed the landscape of the instrument. In addition, the film explores her role as teacher of a new generation of guitarists at both The Juilliard School, where she created the first guitar department, and the Aspen Music Festival. The documentary explores how Isbin’s career has intersected with many different aspects of today’s musical world beyond the realm of classical music. This includes television, film music, NASA, and collaborations with other contemporary musicians from the rock, pop, folk, jazz and Latin genres.