Ms. Shear has taught in the continuing education departments at both New York University and The New School, and has produced and hosted a series entitled "Music of Conflict" for NYU's Lillian Vernon Department of Foreign Affairs. She has lectured at institutions such as The Juilliard School, NYU and the Manhattan School of Music, advising the younger generation on the business and art of music, and does public relations workshops and classes for professional organizations such as Chamber Music America. Ms. Shear has a Bachelor of Music degree (majoring in Music History) from Temple University and a Master of Fine Arts degree (with a concentration in nonfiction) from The New School.

Ms. Shear has hosted many special events including benefits at the Rainbow Room and, with Andre Previn, co-hosted a gala at the Caramoor Music Festival. She also leads tours of artistic interest, lecturing to groups en route.

In addition to The Philadelphia Orchestra, Ms. Shear has held positions as orchestra librarian with The Curtis Institute of Music (for six years), the International Festival of Youth Orchestras (in England, Scotland and Wales) for four seasons and with various publishing companies in the editorial and performance departments. There is scarcely an area of the art or business of music with which she has not been involved.

Ms. Shear was heard on her weekly celebrity interview program, "After Eight with Nancy Shear," and was host and co-coordinator of WNYC's annual day-long special, AMERICATHON, from 1983 to 1987. (New York Magazine's Peter G. Davis called her "...a congenial comm�re who initiated many lively, provocative conversations.") In 1983-84, Nancy was co-host with Alan Rich (former music critic of Newsweek magazine) of NEW SOUNDS USA, part of the New Music America Festival, in Washington, DC, broadcast nationwide. Ms. Shear has written, produced and/or hosted live broadcasts from a variety of venues. She has been heard (on WNYC, WHYY and NPR) in hundreds of interviews with the foremost personalities of our time, including Mstislav Rostropovich, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Celeste Holm, Lotte Lenya, Victor Borge, William Schuman, the Juilliard String Quartet, Murray Perahia, Andre Watts, Yehudi Menuhin, Riccardo Muti, Zubin Mehta and others. She has been heard in special productions for WNYC, WFMT, NPR and other outlets.

For ten semesters, Ms. Shear co-hosted courses at New York University's Extension Division with WQXR's Robert Sherman on "Culture in New York" and "Conversations in Music." She has been a guest speaker and panel member at several conferences and seminars dealing with the arts, communications, and public relations. Her music lectures are performances in themselves, imbued with humor, drama and contagious enthusiasm.

A graduate of the International School of Travel (for the training of travel agents), Ms. Shear has hosted tours of musical interest to festivals such as Aspen and the Santa Fe Opera Festival. Her extensive travels include two remarkable visits to the Soviet Union, in 1970 and 1990, and a tour through Japan with the University of Illinois Kabuki Company at the height of the Persian Gulf War.

Available soon, selected articles and essays by Nancy Shear.