ARTS LEADERSHIP

Originally from Orlando, FL, Jaime Sharp (she/her/hers) is "a mezzo-soprano whose artistry, administration, and activism is rooted in accessibility and change" (TRILLOQUY). She now resides in Cincinnati, OH on the unceded territories of the Algonquian-speaking Shawnee, Miami, and Delaware tribes. 

Jaime is an Arts Leader who advocates for all identities to be strong contributors in the field. She is driven to create transformative musical experiences through storytelling, and discover ways in which the arts can positively impact society. She currently serves as the Communications & Publications Manager for Grantmakers in the Arts, and the Director of Communications & Audience Development for the Cincinnati Song Initiative. This fall, she joins The Dallas Opera Hart Institute for Women Administrators. She is a mentee for Women of Color in the Art's Leadership Through Mentorship, and an inaugural cohort member for OPERA America's Opera Leaders of Color and the All Rise Initiative with Tom O'Connor Consultants.

Her work is strongly focused on racial equity, serving as the 2021-2022 EDI Research Fellow for Association of Arts Administration Educators, and former Administrative Manager for the Black Opera Alliance. Jaime co-founded the choral ensemble Hear Us, Hear Them, an organization dedicated to programming and commissioning works by traditionally underrepresented composers. She also led Opera NexGen as General Director their inaugural and sophomore seasons. Jaime has worked in the marketing departments of the American Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, and the University Musical Society. 

Jaime holds a MM from the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati (CCM), and BM from the University of Michigan with a minor in linguistics. She is pursuing a fundraising certificate from Boston University. Her projects have been highlighted in articles, interviews, and panels for: OPERA America, Association of Arts Administration Educators, I Care If You Listen, OperaWire, Modern Singer Magazine, TRILLOQUY, Latina Women in Opera, and Black Women in Opera. She is an active member of the CSO Multicultural Council, Americans for the Arts, The Association of Performing Arts Professionals, Arts Administrators of Color, Black Administrators of Opera, Racial Justice Opera Network, and BIPOC Arts.