Celebrating Women's History: Sheila Harris Jackson (Voice '83)

“Sheila Harris Jackson not only sings with great beauty, she has total dedication and a burning desire to succeed.” —Todd Duncan, renowned operatic baritone and Curtis faculty member from 1977–90

A native of Franklin, Kentucky, acclaimed soprano, voice teacher, and Curtis alumna Sheila Harris Jackson (Voice ’83) graduated from Western Kentucky University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in music education and performance and studied with Ohm Pauli. That fall she attended Curtis and studied with Todd Duncan, Dr. Vladimir Sokoloff, and Sylvia Olden Lee. Throughout her academic career, she received numerous awards, including honors through the National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, the William Paterson University Scholar’s Award, the Lincoln Foundation Scholarship Award, the New Jersey Governor’s Teacher Award, and a Western Kentucky Vocal Music Scholarship.

Over the past four decades, Mrs. Jackson has appeared with the Houston Grand Opera, the New York City Opera, the former Pennsylvania Opera Theater, the Nashville Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Academy of Music, the Bermuda Fine Arts Festival, and in the off-Broadway musical, Spectrum. Additionally, she has given performances and concerts throughout Europe and the United States, including the Teatro Real in Madrid; Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Italy; the Bregenz Opera Festival in Austria; Samedis Musicaux de Chartres, France; and Carnegie Hall.

Mrs. Jackson has performed under the batons of conductors Andrew Litton, Leonard Bernstein, Gian-Carlo Menotti, and Christopher Keene; and collaborated with jazz pianist Barry Harris, legendary singer Roberta Flack, and operatic tenor George Shirley. She has stated, “My singing is a spiritual calling. It is a gift from God. I not only enjoy it, I feel a great responsibility to share it with others.” Mrs. Jackson continues to perform, educate, and inspire the next generation of singers in New Jersey.

Please visit the Curtis Institute of Music Open Archives and Recitals (CIMOAR). Learn more about Curtis’s library and archives HERE.

Photo Credits: 1.) Headshot of Sheila Harris Jackson, courtesy of Western Kentucky University’s Music Wall of Fame. 2.) Mrs. Jackson with pianist and former Curtis faculty member Hugh Sung (Piano ’90) at 1726 Locust Street; Curtis Music Institute Archives. 3.) 1983 Curtis graduation photo with Mrs. Jackson sitting on the third row from the bottom; Curtis Music Institute Archives. 4.) Portrait of Mrs. Jackson, courtesy of Backstage.com.