Guest Artist Recital: Sandra Shapiro, piano
"Compelling", "brilliant", "liquid sound and colors", "great artistry", are terms that have been used to describe exciting pianist Sandra Shapiro, who enjoys an active career as both performer and teacher throughout the United States and Europe. As a versatile performer, Shapiro appears as soloist in recitals and with orchestras, as a chamber musician and recording artist. She has received both national and international awards with critical acclaim and recognition in each of these areas.
The daughter of Russian-Israeli immigrants, she began her studies at the age of three and a half, and by age 11, was performing in recitals and as a soloist with orchestras. Because of her prodigious talent, Shapiro left home at age 15 to study at the Juilliard School upon the recommendation of her mentor, Gina Bachauer. Her teacher's include Leon Fleisher, John Perry, Nadia Reisenberg, and Guido Agosti. As a member of the renowned duo-piano team of Hecht & Shapiro, Shapiro's laureates include winning the Munich International Duo Piano Competition, the Ellis National Duo Piano Competition, and top prizes in the Dranoff International Two Piano Competition, and the International Jeunesses Musicales Competition.
Shapiro's performances have taken her throughout most major cities in the United States, along with international performances in Berlin, Stuttgart, Munich, Belgrade, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. She has been featured in radio and television productions for RIAS Berlin; Sudwestfunk Radio Production, PBS; WQXR, NPR McGraw-Hill Young Artist Showcase, Australian Broadcasting Commission, and numerous performances over National Public Radio.
Shapiro has performed with numerous orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Stuttgart Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Belgrade String Orchestra, Brevard Festival Orchestra, Florida Symphony, San Angelo Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Everett Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, as well as Cleveland Orchestra appearances at both Severance Hall and the Blossom Music Festival.
As a soloist, awards and prizes include First Prizes in the Young Musician's Foundation National Debut Competition, and The World Piano Competition, as well as a prizewinner in the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition. Other recognitions include the "Outstanding Chamber Musician Award" from the University of Southern California, and the "Young Maestro Award" from the Peabody Institute of Music.
Her great love for chamber music has led to collaborations with Truls Mork, Peter Rejto, Stanley Drucker, Mats Lidstrom, Franklin Cohen, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Joan Kwuon, Joel Smirnoff and members of the New York Philharmonic on the New York Philharmonic's Chamber Music Series.
Recordings include "Sentimiento" on the Azica label as well as collaboration with the principal wind players of the New York Philharmonic in an album entitled "The Complete Music of Robert Schumann for Winds and Piano". A new recording of the Strauss Sonata and Martinu Violin Sonata #3 with Ivan Ženatý, will be released on the Azica label in September 2015.
Shapiro is a Steinway Artist. She is a member of the Piano and Chamber Music faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Performance Date:
Saturday, Feb 10, 2018 -- Doors open at 7pm
Venue:
Cypress Recital Hall
