About Sheri Hammerstrom
Sheri Hammerstrom has a Bachelor of Music from the University of Texas at Arlington with a concentration in vocal performance. She was the winner of the vocal division of the Young Texas Artist Competition in Houston and was recognized at NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) at both the local and regional levels. She was a regular member of the chorus in the Fort Worth Opera, and toured with the Children’s Opera, singing Pamina in The Magic Flute, Gretel in Hansel and Gretel, and Little Red Riding Hood in Little Red’s Most Unusual Day. She also sang small roles on the main stage such as Annina in La Traviata and High Priestess in Aida. She received her master’s degree at Mannes College the New School for Music. While enrolled at Mannes, she was featured in the opera program, singing Musetta in La Bohème, Elvira in scenes from Don Giovanni, and Rosalinda in Die Fledermaus.
She has appeared as soprano soloist with the Greater Middletown Chorale in Connecticut several times, notably in the Brahms Requiem, Beatitudes, Mass for the Homeless by Henry Mollicone and Hadyn Lord Nelson Mass. In 2014 She portrayed Nan in the world premier of Letter from Italy, 1944, composed by Sarah Meneely- Kyder with libretto by Nancy Meneely and also appeared in the Emmy winning documentary made about the work, which aired on Connecticut PBS in June 2015. While on the faculty of Concordia Conservatory for Music in Bronxville, New York for was a featured soloist on the Hoch Concert Series at Concordia. In May 2017 she appeared with the Hartford Symphony at the historic Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, Connecticut in the role of Delia in new rendition of Letter from Italy, 1944.
In February of 2018, she presented with two other faculty members, Arias and Landscapes, as part of the Concerts at the O’Silas concert series. The featured work was Aria by John Cage. In April, she collaborated with Marija Ilič in a concert of Charles Ives songs and piano works by Mario Davidovsky and Leoš Janáček at Spectrum in Brooklyn. She joined the Hoch Concert Series again in October, presenting Strauss’ Vier letzte lieder with noted pianist Jon Klibonoff.
In winter of 2020 she collaborated with fellow Concordia faculty Marija Ilič and David Friend for the Concerts at the O’Silas series in Bronxville. The theme of the concert and exhibit was New York at Night and included compositions from Phillip Glass, Ned Rorem, William Bolcom, and John Cage as well as Billy Strayhorn and Cole Porter.
Sheri has been teaching private voice lessons for more than twenty-five years. Twenty of those were spent at Concordia Conservatory. As well as private lessons, she taught classes in the college preparatory program and led a vocal arts camp every summer for ten years. Many of her private students went on to major in music at top universities. Although trained in classical music, Sheri has had a deep love of musical theatre from a young age and has a passion for teaching that genre. While living in New York for twenty years, she was lucky to be inspired by so many first rate Broadway productions. Recently Sheri moved to California's Central Coast, where she is on the faculty of Cabrillo College, Aptos. Upcoming performances include the role of the Baroness in Cabrillo Stage's production of Candide in summer 2022 and a faculty recital with fellow faculty member soprano Jordan Best in the following fall.