Harrison Sheckler

Sheckler was born in Rochester, Minnesota, and grew up in Charles City, Iowa. He began playing piano at the age of six and violin at the age of eight. In 2014, he won the Terrace Hill Endowment for the Musical Arts Competition, which was broadcast on Iowa Public Television.{{cite web |title=Charles City teen wins Terrace Hill Piano Competition |url=https://globegazette.com/news/local/charles-city-teen-wins-terrace-hill-piano-competition/article_10602004-11de-5b80-a2e3-a46c520e8025.html |website=Globe Gazette |date=April 5, 2014 |publisher=globegazette.com |access-date=February 19, 2021}}

He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and a Master of Music degree in piano performance from the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College.{{cite web |title=A music student united more than 300 musicians to create a virtual choir to perform during the pandemic |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/10/us/music-student-virtual-choir-trnd/index.html |website=CNN.com |date=May 10, 2020 |publisher=CNN |access-date=February 19, 2021}}

Sheckler is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance at the University of Arizona.

On October 7, 2021, Sheckler's orchestration of Jeffrey Biegel's piano piece Reflections of Justice: An Ode to Ruth Bader Ginsburg premiered with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra as part of a concert honoring the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The program also featured the premiere of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Remembering Ruth Bader Ginsburg for voice, piano, and orchestra, with performances by American mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and pianist Jeffrey Biegel.{{cite web |last1=Gamboa |first1=Glenn |title=Ruth Bader Ginsburg tribute required innovative donations |url=https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-entertainment-business-chicago-classical-music-3610b954ddc935f656e6e387529dac7f |website=Associated Press |date=October 6, 2021 |access-date=October 19, 2021}}

Sheckler has pursued a multifaceted career as a pianist, composer, and educator. He served as a visiting professor of piano at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa during the winter semester of 2021, and again for the 2023–2024 academic year. He is currently an adjunct instructor of piano at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas.{{cite web |url=https://www.benedictine.edu/person/harrison-sheckler |title=Harrison Sheckler}}

In addition to his academic roles, Sheckler serves as the director of music at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Olathe, Kansas, where he oversees the music program for multiple weekend services.{{cite web |url=https://www.popolathe.org/harrison-sheckler |title=Harrison Sheckler | Prince of Peace Catholic Community}}

In March 2020, Sheckler launched the Virtual Choir Project COVID-19 by inviting fellow musicians and amateur singers to submit vocal recordings of the show tune "You'll Never Walk Alone",{{cite web |title="You'll Never Walk Alone" Virtual Choir/Orchestra – 15 Countries, 300 People |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=6gpoJNv5dlQ&feature=youtu.be |website=YouTube.com |date=May 2020 |publisher=YouTube |access-date=February 19, 2021}} from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. Believing the song's lyrics resonated with the need for hope during the COVID-19 pandemic, he reached out to every high school choir director in Iowa, as well as friends and colleagues, to recruit participants. Ultimately, he received 240 vocal submissions and 60 instrumental accompaniments from 15 countries, including Germany, Israel, South Africa, and Vietnam.{{cite web|title=Brooklyn Student Unites 300 Musicians For Virtual Performance Of 'You'll Never Walk Alone'|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/brooklyn-student-unites-300-musicians-for-virtual-performance-of-youll-never-walk-alone/ar-BB13NYU1|access-date=February 21, 2021|website=MSN}}

Sheckler spent 200 hours editing and combining 300 individual videos into a single virtual choir performance, arranging the piece to sound like a full orchestral work.{{cite web |title=300 Musicians From Around the World Team Up for Virtual Rendition of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' |url=https://people.com/human-interest/300-musicians-perform-virtual-rendition-youll-never-walk-alone/ |website=People |publisher=People |access-date=February 19, 2021}} The final video was released on YouTube on May 1, 2020, and went viral, garnering over 1.5 million views. It became one of the top 20 virtual choir recordings on the platform.{{cite web |title=Virtual Choir Videos |url=https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=virtual+choir&sp=CAM%253D |website=YouTube |publisher=YouTube}} Online collaborations and virtual choir performances, including "You'll Never Walk Alone," were widely recognized as part of the cultural soundtrack of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|last=Krishnamurthy|first=Akhila|date=May 22, 2020|title=This moment in collaboration: How performing arts are blowing up online|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/this-moment-in-collaboration-how-performing-arts-are-blowing-up-online/article31650132.ece|access-date=February 21, 2021|issn=0971-751X}}

In July 2020, Sheckler collaborated with former Major League Baseball pitcher and musician Bronson Arroyo to produce a virtual choir performance of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The project featured current and former players, including Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen, along with announcers and baseball personalities, totaling 200 participants.{{cite web |title=How a piano student and a former MLB pitcher took 200 fans out to the ball game |url=https://theathletic.com/1972600/2020/08/05/how-a-piano-student-and-a-former-mlb-pitcher-took-200-fans-out-to-the-ball-game/ |website=The Athletic |date=August 5, 2020 |publisher=The Athletic |access-date=February 19, 2021 |last1=Lott |first1=John}}

In January 2024, Sheckler collaborated with singer Gloria Gaynor to release a gospel music video titled "Talkin' 'Bout Jesus." The song, featured on Gaynor's Grammy® Award-winning album Testimony, celebrates themes of hope and spiritual resilience. The project featured the Sheckler Virtual Choir—an innovative ensemble of vocalists from around the world brought together through digital technology to create a unified performance despite geographic distance.

The video also included contributions from featured vocalist Kymberli Joye and musicians Elise Trouw, Anna Sentina, Sophie Giuliani, Harrison Sheckler, Steven Alesso, Grace Kelly (musician), and The Brass Twins, along with 60 choir members from across the United States. The ensemble created a rich, layered sound that embodied the spirit of gospel music. The video was released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, reinforcing its message of hope and unity.{{cite web |url=https://www.ccmmagazine.com/news/gloria-gaynor-and-harrison-sheckler-release-new-music-video-talkin-bout-jesus/ |title=Gloria Gaynor and Harrison Sheckler Release New Music Video, 'Talkin' 'Bout Jesus' |date=January 15, 2024}}

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Category:1996 births

Category:Living people

Category:American classical pianists

Category:University of Cincinnati – College-Conservatory of Music alumni

Category:People from Charles City, Iowa