Sharon Stanis has a multi-faceted career as a chamber musician, soloist, and educator. As a co-founder of the Lafayette String Quartet, she toured extensively across North America and Europe. The quartet received prizes from the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and the Portsmouth (England) International String Quartet Competition.

Ms. Stanis has appeared as a soloist with the Victoria Symphony and the Palm Court Orchestra, and has served as concertmaster of the Victoria Symphony during the Summer Festival Series. At Basses Loaded IV, she performed the Bottesini Grand Duo with Gary Karr. In addition to being a member of the Galiano and Aventa Ensembles, she was a frequent guest artist on the Eine Kleine Summer Music Series.

A dedicated and enthusiastic teacher, Ms. Stanis was an Artist-in-Residence at the University of Victoria, where she taught violin and coached chamber music. She adjudicates numerous festivals across Canada, conducts masterclasses throughout North America, and has coached violinists of the Victoria Youth Orchestra. She also served as an associate instructor in the music history department at Indiana University.

Prior to moving to Victoria, Ms. Stanis was a member of the Renaissance City Chamber Players and served on the faculties of Oakland University and The Institute of Music and Dance in Detroit.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Ms. Stanis studied with Linda and David Cerone, Gary Kosloski, Henryk Kowalski, and Peter Salaff. She earned her BM and MM from Indiana University, where she coached with Rostislav Dubinsky, who was integral to the formation of the Lafayette String Quartet. She also studied with members of the Cleveland, Alban Berg, and Amadeus Quartets.

In addition to the seven compact discs recorded with the Lafayette Quartet, Ms. Stanis has recorded the Murray Adaskin Second Violin Sonata, the John Mills-Cockell Concerto of Deliverance, and the soundtrack of Criminal Acts by Tobin Stokes. She is also the violinist featured in the theme music for the television show Bob and Margaret, composed by Patrick Godfrey.