Shara Nova

Shara Nova (previously Worden) is the lead singer and songwriter for My Brightest Diamond. As a composer she is most recognized for her choral compositions and the baroque chamber opera "You Us We All". New music composers Sarah Kirkland Snider, David Lang, Steve Mackey and Bryce Dessner have composed pieces for Nova's voice. She has recorded as a guest vocalist with David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, The Decemberists, Sufjan Stevens, Jedi Mind Tricks, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Stateless as well as extensive collaborations with visual artists Matthew Ritchie and Matthew Barney. She was formerly the frontwoman of AwRY. On March 3, 2016, Shara legally changed her last name from Worden to Nova after divorcing her husband, to whom she had been married most of her adult life.

Life Nova was born in El Dorado, Arkansas. Her father was an accordion player and choir director and her mother was an organist for their Pentecostal church. Nova's uncle Donald Ryan, a classical and jazz pianist and arranger, taught her piano lessons as a child. Nova's family moved to many different states when she was a child, including significant time in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, and Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Nova graduated from the University of North Texas with a BA in vocal performance. After college, she lived in Moscow, Russia, for a year where she studied Russian and wrote songs, producing a self-released, limited edition EP, Session I. She moved to New York City, where she continued to study opera with Josephine Mongiardo. In 2009 Nova moved to Detroit, Michigan.

She married in 1997 and divorced in 2016, legally changing her name from Worden (her ex-husband's surname) to Nova. With her ex-husband she has one child, Constantine Jamesson Worden, born in 2010. She made a guest appearance on the Jedi Mind Tricks album Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell in 2006 and on the Vinnie Paz album Season of the Assassin in 2010. In 2008 Nova sang as a background vocalist for Laurie Anderson during five performances at The Rose Theater for the show Homeland. She performed guest vocals on "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" and "The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing" from the 2009 album by The Decemberists, The Hazards of Love, singing vocals for the part of "The Queen". She also performed with The Decemberists on their "A Short Fazed Hovel Tour" along with Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond. Nova performed in and wrote the song "Nine" for Bryce and Aaron Dessner's multi-media performance The Long Count with texts and images by Matthew Ritchie. The Long Count was performed at the Krannert Center (2009), BAM (2009), the Holland Festival (2012) and the Barbican Centre (2012).

She performed vocals on Sufjan Stevens' 2010 album The Age of Adz, notably taking the lead during a section of "Impossible Soul". In January 2012 Nova performed the premiere of the song cycle Death Speaks by David Lang with pianist Nico Muhly, violinist Owen Pallett and guitarist Bryce Dessner. In 2015, Nova provided vocals for Sarah Kirkland Snider's Unremembered, and debuted her opera (co-written with Andrew Ondrejcak), You Us We All, in the United States.

In 2023–2024, Nova performed in Illinoise, the stage adaptation of Sufjan Stevens' Illinois; Nova performed as the "moth" Barsine, playing guitar and providing vocals.

Compositions

Letters from Charles: for yMusic. Performed at the 92nd Street Y in Tribeca. Performed March 2010. A Paper, A Pen, A Note to a Friend: for yMusic. Released on Beautiful Mechanical (New Amsterdam Records 2011). A Whistle, A Tune, A Macaroon: for yMusic. Released on Beautiful Mechanical (New Amsterdam Records 2011). Skin and Bones: for yMusic From the Invisible to the Visible: for organist James McVinnie and violist Nadia Sirota commissioned by MusicNOW festival in March 2012. Released on the album Baroque (Bedroom Community 2013) The Pyramid Songs : 3 songs for The Brooklyn Youth Chorus, first performed by the choir at Crossing Borders Festival at BAM in New York, May 2012. Kings of Macedonia: music for brass quartet, drums and choir for Andrew Ondrejcak's play Kings of Macedonia. She also performed in the play as the character The Whore in May 2012 at The Kitchen. Phase 1 & III: music for marching band. Performed by The Detroit Party Marching Band (2013) for the opening ceremonies of Art X. Funded by The Kresge Foundation. The Pleiades: 5 songs for the Young New Yorkers' Chorus. Commissioned 2013. YOU, US, WE, ALL: Nova composed the music for a baroque opera designed and directed by Andrew Ondrejcak; performed in Antwerp, Belgium, May 2013. Titration: song cycle for acapella choir

Discography

Solo albums Year Album artist name Album title 1998 Shara Word 2004 Shara Worden Shara Worden Live at Schubas 11/18/2004

Collaborations and guest appearances

Credited as Shara Worden

Significant album contributions Year Artist Album title Vocals: lead/co-lead/backing 1997 Mingo Fishtrap Succotash Co-Lead 2003 Bogs Visionary Orchestra Recession Special Backing 2005 Sufjan Stevens Illinois Backing 2005/2006 Sufjan Stevens Songs for Christmas, Vol. 3: Ding! Dong! Backing 2006 Sufjan Stevens The Avalanche Backing 2008 Ready Fire Aim This Changes Nothing Backing 2009 Bifrost Arts Come, O Spirit! Lead 2009 DM Stith Heavy Ghost Backing 2009 Clare and The Reasons Arrow Backing 2010 Sufjan Stevens Age Of Adz Backing; co-lead ("Impossible Soul") 2010 Clogs The Creatures In The Garden Of Lady Walton Lead (select songs) 2010 Sarah Kirkland Snider Penelope Lead 2011 (Collaboration) Letters to Distant Cities Lead; spoken word 2013 David Lang Death Speaks Lead 2015 Sarah Kirkland Snider Unremembered Co-Lead 2016 Gabriel Kahane The Fiction Issue Co-Lead

Individual songs Year Artist Album title Song title Vocals: Lead/co-lead/backing 2005 Todd Agnew Grace Like Rain "Kindness" Backing 2005 Garden of Souls Wake Up EP "Runes (Diamond Mix)" Co-Lead 2006 Jedi Mind Tricks Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell "When All Light Dies" Co-Lead 2006 Jedi Mind Tricks Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell "Razorblade Salvation" Co-Lead 2006 Pedestrian Ghostly Life "Overwhelmed" Backing 2008 Pedestrian sidegeist "shape of a pocket" Backing 2009 (Bifrost Arts Compilation Album) Come O Spirit! "Kyrie" Co-Lead 2009 The Decemberists The Hazards of Love "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" Co-Lead 2009 The Decemberists The Hazards of Love "The Queen's Rebuke" Lead 2009 900X Music For Lubbock, 1980 "Lands" Lead 2010 Vinnie Paz Season Of The Assassin "Keep Moving' On" Co-Lead 2010 David Byrne & Fatboy Slim Here Lies Love "Seven Years" Co-Lead 2011 Owen Pallett Export(demo) "The Great Elsewhere" Lead 2011 Prefuse 73 Only She Chapters "The Only Hand to Hold" Lead 2011 Uphill Racer How It Feels To Find There's More "Overfrail" Lead 2011 Colin Stetson New History Warfare 2: Judges "Lord I Just Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes" Lead 2011 Colin Stetson New History Warfare 2: Judges "Fear Of The Unknown And The Blazing Sun" Lead 2011 Stateless Matilda "I'm On Fire" Co-Lead 2011 Son Lux We Are Rising "Rebuild" Backing 2011 The Revival Hour "Hold Back/Run Away" (7" Single) "Hold Back" Backing 2012 S / S / S Beak & Claw "If This Is Real" Backing (Chorus) 2012 Loop 2.4.3 American Dreamland "Sakura (we must love)" Co-Lead 2012 Loop 2.4.3 American Dreamland I Knew (we shouldn't) Backing 2012 The Universal Thump All Things Must Pass "Beware of Darkness" Lead 2012 Recoil Spirit of Talk Talk (Compilation) "Dum Dum Girl" Lead 2012 Mal'akh Néctar "Dimanche" Lead 2013 Dog & Panther Our Bodies "I Want Love" Backing 2014 Brooklyn Rider The Brooklyn Rider Almanac "Exit" Lead 2014 Meshell Ndegeocello Comet Come To Me "Comet Come to Me" Backing 2023 DM Stith Fata Morgana "In the Gloom" Lead (Intro and Choir)

With AwRY Year Album title Album type 2001 AwRY (a.k.a. "The Orange Album") Full-length studio release 2001 Quiet B Sides Full-length studio release 2003 Remix 1 (a.k.a. "The Remixes") 6-song remix EP

With My Brightest Diamond Year Album title Album type 2006 Bring Me The Workhorse Full-length studio release 2006 Disappear EP (5 songs) 2007 Tear It Down Full-length studio release / Remixes (initial iTunes release included 3 or 5 bonus songs, no longer available) 2008 Shark Demos EP (6 songs, alternate versions) 2008 A Thousand Shark's Teeth Full-length studio release 2008 From The Top Of The World EP (4 songs) 2008 Inside A Boy Single (4 songs) 2008 Shark Remixes Vol 1: Alfred Brown Remix EP 2008 The Black Sessions Limited-edition CD of live show at Studio 106, Paris 2009 Shark Remixes Vol 2: Son Lux Remix EP 2009 Shark Remixes Vol 3: Roberto C. Lange Remix EP 2010 Shark Remixes Vol 4: DM Stith Remix EP 2010 Shark Remixes Limited-edition signed compilation of all previous Shark Remix Volumes 1–4 (1,500 hand-numbered copies) 2011 All Things Will Unwind Full-length studio release 2011 Be Brave Single (3 song versions) 2012 I Have Never Loved Someone 7" single, alternate version, with "Bird on a Wire" B-side, limited edition 1,000 hand-numbered copies 2014 None More Than You EP (5 songs) 2014 This Is My Hand Full-length studio release; multiple vinyl versions, including limited-edition version with hand-made art slipcover (300 copies) 2015 I Had Grown Wild EP (6 songs) 2018 Champagne EP (5 songs) 2018 A Million and One Full-length studio release

Collaborations and compilation contributions

Year Artists (or publisher) Album title Song title Additional information 2006 (Asthmatic Kitty Records) Mews Too "Riding Horses" MBD recording of a song originally published by AwRY 2007 (Stereogum) OKX: A Tribute to OK Computer "Lucky" MBD remake of Radiohead song 2007 (family records) Cross-Pollination: The Mixtape Vol. 1 "Hi, Remember Me?" 2008 (Engine Room Recordings) Guilt By Association Vol. 2 "Tainted Love" MBD remake of Gloria Jones/Soft Cell song 2008 (Animal World) I'll Stay 'Til After Christmas "Nature Boy" MBD remake of eden ahbez/Nat King Cole song 2008 (Mojo Magazine) The White Album Recovered No. 2 "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" MBD remake of Beatles song 2009 (4AD Records) Dark Was The Night "Feeling Good" MBD remake of Nina Simone song 2009 (Biggest Label Ever) (released as single, digital download) "The Honey Bee" MBD contribution to support the Invisible Children charity 2010 My Brightest Diamond/Dayna Kurtz "Gone Away"/"Postcards From Downtown" "Postcards From Downtown" Split single, each artist covers a song from the other; 7" release limited to 1,000 numbered copies 2011 Liz Janes Time & Space "Bitty Thing" Shara Worden vocals, credited as My Brightest Diamond 2012 (Mojo Magazine) The Songs of Leonard Cohen Covered "Bird On A Wire" MBD remake of Leonard Cohen song, with Marc Ribot 2022 Rachel Grimes, Angélica Negrón, Shara Nova, Caroline Shaw, Sarah Kirkland Snider, A Far Cry The Blue Hour all A song cycle written collaboratively by five female composers, lyrics excerpted from the poem “On Earth” from the book Blue Hour by Carolyn Forché