NSCS Leaders

Dr. Julia Davids enjoys a thriving career as a versatile musician. She holds degrees in Education, Conducting, and Voice Performance from the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario), the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Michigan), and a D.M. from Northwestern University.  Julia has been Music Director of the North Shore Choral Society since 2009.  

As a soprano soloist, she is an avid performer and recitalist having appeared with Bella Voce, the Callipygian Players, Opera Atelier, the Vancouver Cantata Singers, the Toronto Chamber Choir, the Toronto Consort, the Guelph Chamber Choir, the Aradia Ensemble, Publick Musick, Ars Musica, and others.

She is the Stephen J. Hendrickson Endowed Chair of Choral Activities at North Park University, Chicago, where she directs the choirs and teaches music education.  Julia has been the Artistic Director of the Canadian Chamber Choir, Canada’s national professional-level chamber choir, since 2004.  She has led the CCC on concert and workshop tours and produced their debut recording In Good Company released in 2010.  Julia is also Director of Music Ministries at Trinity United Methodist Church, Wilmette, and is in demand as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor.  She is co-author with Stephen LaTour of the book Vocal Technique – A Guide for Conductors, Teachers, and Singers to be published by Waveland Press in the spring of 2012.  She resides in Skokie with her husband, baroque violinist Martin Davids, and their two children, Judith and Solomon.

Pianist for the Chicago Symphony Chorus since auditioning as a North Park College student in 1978, Sharon R. Peterson continues as Accompanist for the CSC as well as at Northwestern University, (primarily in Frederick Hemke’s saxophone studio), and the North Shore Choral Society.  She has served as accompanist for several years for Chicago Symphony Singers and CSC’s resident ensembles.  During the seven years spent living in Sweden and Norway, Sharon developed a specialty in Scandinavian Piano Repertoire as well as serving as staff accompanist at The Royal Academy of Music in Oslo, Norway.  Sharon was also the Swedish and Norwegian language coach for the 2005 season at the Steans Institute at Ravinia.  Studying with Elizabeth Buccheri at North Park College (BM degree) and Robert Weirich at Northwestern University (MM degree), Sharon has also accompanied the Lyric Opera Chorus for several seasons, been Music Director twice of the Lyric Opera’s “Opera In the Neighborhood” touring production of The Magic Flute, served as staff accompanist at Roosevelt University and North Park University, pianist for Candle Opera and accompanist in soprano Maria Lagios’ studio.   Sharon also toured Hawaii with Kathleen and Peter Van De Graaff and performs with them regularly.  Active as recitalist and coach, Sharon is also organist at North Park Theological Seminary and North Park Covenant Church.