Dr. Sharon J. Willis, Composer, is the Founder and Director of Americolor Opera Alliance. She has written 12 operatic theater stage works to date that feature Afro-Centric, Social, Health, and American subjects: Her first opera The Opera Singer premiered April 2000 in the City of East Point with resounding success followed by The Herndons; LaRoche (about the only black passenger on the ill-fated Titanic); The Great Divide; Pink Lady(three women and their struggles with breast cancer); Madam C. J.; The Seduction of King Solomon; 3kings and a PRINCE; The Candlers of Callan; and Carmen J. The premiere of her 11th work The Bridge focused on the state of homelessness in Atlanta; and her twelfth opera, Three-Dream Portrait was a presentation of three mini-operas in one: Vashti, Paul Robeson, and The Maid’s Dream. Dr. Willis is also a playwright and has written many Afro-Centric and Biblical Dramas including Unspoken, (AIDS Ministry work); Rev. Sistuh! (Three women ministers in Perspective). Connect-3 (the overwhelming effects of Alzheimer’s Disease on the elderly, the misconception of Autism on children, and the apathy experienced by some family members); Victorian Secrets, The Prophet’s Brother, The 7th Door, The R. N. Factor (a tribute to Registered Nurses) and House of Brothers. Currently, Dr. Willis is the only woman composer in the United States to have founded an opera company, composed and premiered twelve operas and seven plays in the United States. In April of 2016, Willis was awarded Composer of the Year by the National League of Pen Women, the Atlanta Chapter; was commissioned by the Georgia Music Educator’s Conference to write for their annual composer’s competition; she was commissioned in 2006 by the American Guild of Organists as one of its conference composers; and her Vocalise for Trumpet and Organ commissioned by symphonic trumpeter David Kuehn and concert organist Calvert Johnson was released on Fleur de Son Classics, Ltd From the Mountaintop.

Willis holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree from The University of Georgia; a Master’s in Church Music from Scarritt Graduate School in Nashville; a Master’s in Music (Theory) from Georgia State University; and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Clark College (CAU).

In addition to composing, Willis presents lectures and dramatic presentations, and historical re-enactments centered around Afro-centric History -–her most popular ones to date: When I Was In Africa, Portraits of Harriet Tubman, and Portrait of Rosa Parks. Dr. Willis is a much sought-after Church Music and Vocal Workshop Facilitator and has traveled throughout the Southeastern Seaboard presenting dramatic presentations and workshops. Willis is the former Department Chair of Music at Clark Atlanta University (2005-2016), and now chairs the Department of Music at Morris Brown College.

Sjw.composer@gmail.com