Next in the series is Sharon Sorokin James, a lawyer and active writer and publisher.
Background, Career, & Music Involvement: As a young child, Sharon Sorokin James listened to her father prepare for his voice lessons. She loved opera and brought an LP of Gounod’s Faust to second grade show-and-tell.
She also explored instrumental music, starting by studying piano for two years. At age 10, she switched to harp. Her first harp teacher organized international competitions, through which Sorokin James’s family met and hosted Japanese and Russian harpists. In high school and college at Wesleyan University, she played at hotels, restaurants, and local events. At Wesleyan, she also studied koto, a thirteen-stringed classical Japanese court instrument and performed in a trio of koto, shakuhachi (bamboo flute) and shamisen (three stringed banjo).
After Wesleyan, Sorokin James spent two years in Portland, Oregon, where she worked in publishing and played the harp at the Benson Hotel. While passionate about music, Sorokin James knew it wasn’t her career path. In 1980, she returned East and attended Boston College Law School. Several years after law school, she relocated to Philadelphia with her future husband.
In Philadelphia, Sorokin James’s legal career focused on nonprofit and government entities clients. She was on the legal team that represented the Philadelphia Orchestra in the Kimmel Center site assemblage. She also served as a Trustee and President of WYBE Public TV.
In December 2022, Sorokin James left the full-time practice of law. She founded Bikabow Books, which published her first children’s book in January 2023. She is also writing a children’s picture book about jazz harpist Alice Coltrane.
Love of Music: “While my first musical loves were opera and Broadway, I’m very interested in many types of music, particularly music from Japan, India, China, Mali, and other music outside of the classical European tradition.”
How she learned about The Presser Foundation: In 2007, Sorokin James was introduced to Robert Capanna, the Foundation’s President at the time. He introduced her to several other Board members, including Anthony Checchia, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society’s co-founder. Shortly thereafter, Sorokin James joined the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
Trustee Since: 2007
Role at the Foundation: Secretary, Executive Committee, DEI Committee Member, Nominating & Governance Committee Chair
Favorite part of serving on the Board: Sorokin James loves the mission of the organization and the “great group” of staff and Board members. “We engage in robust discussions. There is always something new to learn. I enjoy being a member of an organization that is open-minded where the people [who are] a part of it are able to collaborate to make decisions.”
Impact of the Foundation: ‘The fact that the Foundation gives general operating support, with few strings attached, is very impactful. We’re also able to be flexible and respond to immediate needs quickly, such as giving additional general operating support during the beginning of COVID.”
Where she sees the Foundation in the next 5-10 years: She expects the Foundation will remain true to its music mission and continue to evolve as it implements its mission, such as support for more varied musical genres and continued support for the ongoing Next Movement programs.
“We have a dynamic board and staff that are committed to the overall mission, and I’m excited to see what the Foundation is able to accomplish.”
What does she do in her free time: Sorokin James enjoys family, music, writing and publishing, cooking, reading, and traveling. She aspires to return to the harp.
