Canadian violist Sharon Wei is a dynamic and multifaceted artist, recognized for her excellence as a performer, educator, and dedicated contributor to Canada’s musical landscape. Sharon is the violist of the acclaimed New Orford String Quartet, comprising principal players from the Toronto and Montreal Symphonies. As a co-founder of Ensemble Made in Canada, Sharon has played a pivotal role in cultivating a distinctively Canadian voice in chamber music. The ensemble’s Mosaïque Project—winner of the 2021 JUNO Award for Classical Album of the Year—brought together 14 Canadian composers and toured every province and territory. 

Internationally, Sharon has performed at festivals including Verbier, Marlboro, Ravinia, Banff, Prussia Cove, and Giverny, and toured with Musicians from Marlboro to Carnegie Hall and other major venues. She has collaborated with artists such as James Ehnes, Marion Newman, Claude Frank, and the St. Lawrence String Quartet. She is principal violist of the Verbier Chamber Orchestra and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic on their Grammy-winning recording of Ives symphonies.

As a passionate educator, Sharon is Associate Professor of Viola and was Acting Assistant Dean of Research at Western University. She previously taught at Yale and Stanford and has given masterclasses across Canada, the U.S., and China. At Western, she developed a pioneering course on entrepreneurial and career-building skills for musicians.

Her artistry and leadership have been recognized with Western University’s 2022 Faculty Scholar Award, the viola prize from Yale University, and numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and FACTOR. She has recorded for Centrediscs, CBC, Onyx Classics, and Warner Classics, and is frequently heard on CBC Radio and Air Canada’s Enroute Entertainment.