Vancouver-based recording engineer wins a prestigious award

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Vancouver-based recording and mixing engineer of Ukrainian origin Sheldon Zaharko has been awarded a Western Canadian Music award for Engineer of the Year.

This is Zaharko’s second Engineer of the Year award. He is also the recipient of the 2017 Western Canadian Music award for Engineer of the Year.

Zaharko received numerous nominations for Engineer of the Year for the Junos, Western Canadian Music Awards and BCCMA – B.C. Country Music Association. He also worked on albums from award-winning artists such as Limblifter, Jim Byrnes, Doc Walker, Barney Bentall, Tanya Tagag, Zubot and Dawson, Phil Dwyer, Devin Townsend, Metalwood, Old Man Luedeke, Fond of Tigers, Brad Turner Quartet and Pugs and Crows.

Born in Vermilion, Alta., Zaharko discovered a passion for music at an early age. Growing up in a small town, he found refuge in music as a musician and performed in bands throughout the 80s as a drummer. His love of music morphed into a fascination with the recording process and he discovered that his passion lay in the studio, behind the mixing board.

In 1991, Zaharko went to Trebas Institute – a recording school in Vancouver, where he gained theoretical and practical experience. After his studies at Trebas, he was hired to work as an assistant engineer at a recording studio in Vancouver titled “The Factory”.

From 1993-2011, Zaharko was the head engineer at “The Factory”, working with many Canadian and internationally acclaimed artists on their recording projects. Some of the artists include Billy Talent, Simple Plan, Geddy Lee, Michelle Wright and The National Film Board of Canada.

When “The Factory” closed its doors in 2011, Zaharko started his next journey with his own production company “Zed Productions”. The company became a “go-to” full-service production company, offering in-house studio services. It also teamed up with “Warehouse Studio” in Vancouver. As his business grew, Zaharko also became the ‘go-to’ guy, specializing in live and remote recording.

Throughout his career, Zaharko has earned his reputation as a sought-after recording and mixing engineer, dubbed “the best ears in the city” by his clients. His experience and creativity behind the console has garnered great respect, evidenced by the long list of award-winning clients he works with, from The Country Music Hall of Fame, “Then and Now” recordings with Ian and Sylvia Tyson, Michelle Wright, Murray McLachlan, The Good Brothers and Gary Fjellgaard, to Marilyn Manson’s album and countless other recording projects.

Zaharko’s love of music, his creativity, sensibilities, experience and knowledge give him the green light to engineer diverse musical styles in all genres: jazz, classical, country, rock, folk and other sub genres. He immerses himself in each project to help create a piece of timeless art.

With files from Laser Beam Music

This article is written under the Local Journalism Initiative agreement

Kateryna Bandura for New Pathway – Ukrainian News

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