Sharon Lavery has attained prominence as a conductor throughout California. In addition to her position as Music Director of the Downey Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Lavery holds the post of cover conductor for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra of Orange County. She has led the La Jolla Symphony in concert, served as assistant conductor to the Pasadena Symphony, and, for many years, was associate conductor of the Herbert Zipper Orchestra of Los Angeles.
Ms. Lavery is also a member of the faculty at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music where she serves as a professor of conducting and resident conductor of the Thornton Symphony, Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. This position, created especially for her by director of orchestras Larry J. Livingston, has allowed her to collaborate with such renowned conductors as Michael Tilson Thomas, John Williams and Carl St. Clair. She has led the Thornton ensembles in concert on many occasions and dedicated seven years to her post as music director of the Thornton Concert Orchestra. Ms. Lavery has been active on a national and international basis as well. Her extensive career has led her to conduct in many concert halls across the United States, including Carnegie Hall in New York City, and she previously served as music director of the MUSE International Music Day festival in Chiba, Japan.
Hailing from Ossining, New York, Ms. Lavery received her bachelor of music education degree from Michigan State University and master of music in clarinet performance from the New England Conservatory of Music. Ms. Lavery also earned a master of music in orchestral conducting from USC, receiving the Leonard Bernstein Memorial Scholarship for two consecutive years.