San Francisco Renaissance Voices (SFRV) made their debut in 2004 with a “standing room only” performance of Victoria’s Requiem and quickly became a favorite of Bay Area Early Music audiences.
They have consistently earned praise for our “gossamer sound … a sound something akin to spiritual levitation” as well as recognition for their imaginative programming and christened the Bay Area’s“hipper than thou” Early Music ensemble by San Francisco Classical Voice and in 2010 SFWeekly chose us as “Best Classical Music” for their Best of San Francisco edition.
SFRV is a professional mixed-voice ensemble dedicated to performing and exploring the a cappella choral music of the Renaissance particularly lesser-known and rarely-performed works, as well as exploring music from this period outside of the traditional European canon.
Todd Jolly, Music Director
Mr. Jolly received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Trenton State College and holds a Master of Divinity degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He serves as Music Director at St. John’s Presbyterian Church (Berkeley, CA) and previously served as Director of Liturgical Music at Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church (San Francisco, CA) for a decade. He has studied with such noted figures as Tony DeNicola, Cloyd Duff, Lloyd Pfautsch, Austin Lovelace, and Alice Parker.
A percussionist, a published composer and arranger, and an ordained Presbyterian minister, he also teaches music at Stuart Hall for Boys, third through eighth grade, and directs two boy choirs. Once a member of the directing staff of the internationally renowned San Francisco Boys Chorus, he appears on occasion with them still. During the fall of 2004 Mr. Jolly was Composer-in-Residence at San Francisco’s School for the Arts, composing two commissioned pieces, To Be Read at a Funeral and The Oath, which were subsequently performed at the school.
LeAnna Sharp, Choreographer & Director Dance Early & Ancient
Also a soprano with San Francisco Renaissance Voices, she is newly appointed to create San Francisco Renaissance Voices Dance Early & Ancient series. Ms. Sharp is a multi-talented
performing artist in the disciplines of dance, theatre and music and a bilingual educator. She works as a dancer and choreographer, actor, singer and pianist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a graduate of San Francisco State University where she completed a B.A. in Dance Choreography, a B.A. in Classical Music and a Minor in Theatre, with an emphasis in multi-culturalism. Most recently she studied with the internationally-recognized period dance scholar, teacher and performer, Philippa Waite of Consort de Danse Baroque (UK).
In addition to period dance, she specializes in Latin social dances such as Salsa and Merengue, and Contemporary styles like Hip Hop, Jazz and Afro folkloric dances. As a choreographer, Ms, Sharp has created her own theatre-dance fusion pieces such as, Beyond Stuck: ¡Déjalo ir!, The Gorgani Project, the classical medieval morality play, Everyman, and Race Beyond Face. As an actor she has worked with El Teatro Campesino where she choreographed and played the role of Joan Jara in Victor in Shadow by Lakin Valdez. Her favorite production was Poeta Pan: a Tribute to Pablo Neruda with El Grupo Arco Iris & Carlos Baron, which included dance and shadow puppetry, and went on tour through out Chile.
