Remembering Sharon Schuman

Last week, we lost a pillar of the arts and nonprofit community when Sharon Schuman was killed by an out-of-control car while running on the Amazon trail. There are lots of articles on the incident as well as tributes to Sharon like this one from KLCC here:

https://www.klcc.org/human-interest/2025-04-25/a-force-to-be-reckoned-with-remembering-sharon-schuman

Sharon was a violinist and devoted advocate for the arts. She founded Chamber Music Amici and performed for decades with the Oregon Mozart Players and Eugene Opera. She was also a driving force behind the start of Delgani String Quartet.

On November 24, 2014, about a month after founding Delgani, the musicians and I met with Sharon for advice on how to move forward as an organization. She encouraged us to form a nonprofit and even offered to be our first board member. That December we had our inaugural board meeting and by February we were an official 501(c)(3).

In March of 2015, Sharon organized a house concert for Delgani with a guest list that included some of the biggest supporters of the arts in Eugene. That event, combined with our first public performance in April, raised over $20k and gave us the confidence to launch a full season of concerts later that fall.

It's likely that Delgani would not be here today without Sharon. She provided crucial guidance and connections during our first few years. Her support of Delgani, at a time when she was still heavily involved in other arts organizations, speaks volumes about her commitment to the arts.

Sharon's passing is a huge loss for our community and she will be deeply missed.

Wyatt True
Executive Director
Delgani String Quartet