Pianist for the Chicago Symphony Chorus since auditioning as a college student in 1978, Sharon R. Peterson continues as rehearsal pianist for the Chorus as well as the North Shore Choral Society. She is Collaborative Pianist, Organist, and Lecturer at North Park University and occasionally accompanies students at DePaul and Northwestern Universities. Peterson served as an accompanist for several years for Chicago Symphony Singers and CSC’s ensembles. In addition, she was the Score Reader for the filming of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. During the seven years spent living in Sweden and Norway, Sharon developed a specialty in Scandinavian piano repertoire and worked as staff accompanist at the Royal Academy of Music in Oslo. She developed a course, Nordic Art Song, which she teaches at North Park University.
Peterson studied with Elizabeth Buccheri at North Park College (bachelor’s degree in piano performance), and Robert Weirich at Northwestern University (master’s degree in piano/accompaniment). While at Northwestern, she also studied organ and served as accompanist for its Opera Workshop. Peterson has also accompanied the Lyric Opera Chorus for eight seasons, been music director twice of the Lyric’s “Opera in the Neighborhood” touring production of The Magic Flute, worked as ballet accompanist for Lyric’s 2014 production of Mozart’s La Clemenza di Tito and provided Swedish and Norwegian Language coaching for the Ryan Opera Center. Peterson coaches voice privately as well, specializing in Swedish and Norwegian languages and repertoire.
Peterson has been a staff accompanist at Roosevelt University and accompanist in the studios of soprano Maria Lagios and saxophonist Frederick L.Hemke as well as performing regularly with singers Kathleen and Peter Van De Graaff, including a tour of Hawaii. The Frederick L. Hemke Saxophone Institute has used Peterson as its only Collaborative Pianist since its founding in 2013 at the Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sydney, Maine.
Now Organist at Village Church, Northbrook, and North Park University and Theological Seminary, Peterson had a 16-year tenure as organist at North Park Covenant Church in Chicago and has been guest organist at various churches in the Chicago area, including St. James (Episcopal) Cathedral, First United Methodist Church, (Chicago Temple,) Trinity United Methodist Church in Wilmette, and Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago. She performed a Scandinavian organ concert at Loyola University’s Madonna della Strada Chapel, (Chicago,) at the Presbyterian Homes’ Organ Concert Series, (Evanston,) and at Southminster Presbyterian Church, (Arlington Heights.)
Sharon and Andrea Handley regularly perform Piano Duo concerts as well as Piano-Organ concerts. Much in demand as Pianist and Organist, Peterson is also active in the Musicians Club of Women and the American Guild of Organists, (Chicago and NorthShore chapters.) Past SubDean and Board member of the North Shore Chapter of the AGO,Peterson served as committee chair for its Organ Scholarship Initiative and was on the Steering Committee for the 2023 Regional AGO Convention. Her current work on the Chicago Chapter AGO includes producing a Pedals, Pipes, and Pizza workshop in 2026.
