Concert to Highlight Music Inspired by Nature

            February 10, 2012, Chappaqua, NY – Spring is in the air, and nothing expresses the wonder of nature better than the soaring landscapes and intricate complexities of beautiful orchestral music. On Sunday, May 20, 2012, Music Director and Conductor Michael Shapiro will lead The Chappaqua Orchestra in a concert of music inspired by nature. Debussy’s L’apré-midi d’un faune, Beethoven’s Symphony No 6 (Pastoral) and the world premiere of Mr. Shapiro’s own Harp Concerto with soloist Anna Reinersman will paint a picture of the natural world both serene and majestic. The concert will take place at 3:00 pm at the Horace Greeley High School Auditorium, 70 Roaring Brook Road in Chappaqua, NewYork. Tickets are $20 and students are free. For tickets and information call 914-238-9220, or visit www.chappaquaorchestra.

About Anna Reinersman

            Anna Reinersman began her harp studies at the age of seven, holding her first position as Principal Harp for the Rocky Mountain Symphony in Utah at the age of fourteen.  Praised by The New York Times as “an elegant harpist”, she performs extensively throughout New York and Boston. Ms. Reinersman recently returned from a tour of Japan with the Metropolitan Opera, playing “La Boheme” and is currently in the pit for the revival of “On A Clear Day You Can See Forever” starring Harry Connick, Jr. She was the harpist for the entire run of the Broadway smash hit “The Producers” and has performed with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the Mostly Mozart Music Festival, and has toured the country with the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra.  She maintains an active career as a chamber musician with the Locrian Chamber Players, a contemporary ensemble, the Chameleon Arts Ensemble, a Boston based chamber group, and the Larkspur Trio. Comfortable in a variety of musical settings, she has performed with such contemporary pop artists as Joni Mitchell, Diana Krall, Alicia Keyes, and the indie band Hem. Ms. Reinersman is also cofounder and codirector of the Carolina Chamber Music Festival. She can be heard on the soundtrack of the most recent “The Producers” movie, the cast album for the Broadway revival of “Finian’s Rainbow,” and various other commercial recordings.

About The Chappaqua Orchestra

            Hailed as “The Jewel of New Castle,” The Chappaqua Orchestra has served Northern Westchester since 1958.  Under the baton of Michael Shapiro, the orchestra is a sophisticated ensemble of artists with a strong commitment to reaching the community in new and exciting ways.  Since its founding, inspired by its first chairman, Jacob A. Evans, and Music Director Boris Koutzen, The Chappaqua Orchestra has always emphasized high musical standards.  Notable artists who have appeared with the orchestra include Edward Arron, Timothy Fain, Joseph Fuchs, Kikuei Ikeda, Ruth Laredo, Andrew Litton, Vanessa Williams, and Eugenia Zuckerman.  Distinguished conductors of the orchestra have included Jesse Levine, Norman Leyden, Andrew Litton, James Sadewhite, and Wolfgang Schanzer.

            The orchestra includes both professional and professional-level volunteer musicians, most of whom are Westchester residents. The orchestra has performed at venues such as the Jacob Burns Film Center, the Seven Bridges Middle School and Horace Greeley High School Auditoriums, the Chappaqua Library, the First Congregational Church of Chappaqua, Temple Beth El of Northern Westchester, The Presbyterian Church of Mt. Kisco, Reader’s Digest Auditorium, and the Paramount Center for the Arts.  The Chappaqua Orchestra enhances the arts education program in the Chappaqua Public Schools through small ensemble performances in the elementary schools, joint concerts with the Horace Greeley High School Orchestra and Chorus, a mentoring program for selected music students, and annual family concerts geared toward young audiences.  The orchestra also fosters the development of new artists and smaller chamber groups by showcasing their performances in smaller venues. To learn more about The Chappaqua Orchestra, please visit www.chappaquaorchestra.org .

About Music Director/Conductor Michael Shapiro

            Michael Shapiro, Music Director and Conductor of The Chappaqua Orchestra since 2002, is dedicated to presenting challenging repertoire in the context of thematic programming, while building an ensemble of top musicians.  Under Maestro Shapiro, The Chappaqua Orchestra has reached new artistic heights.  In recent years, The Chappaqua Orchestra’s performances have been likened to those of major orchestras, and the 2006 production of the Verdi Requiem, performed in collaboration with the Taconic Opera, was termed Westchester’s “musical event of the decade.”

            Mr. Shapiro has performed internationally, including appearances in Berlin, Siena, Victoria, New York, Boston, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.  His repertoire as a conductor includes most of the standard symphonic, operatic, and ballet works. He is known for his keen understanding of and appreciation for new music.  He served for two years as Music Consultant to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, where he produced and performed the music of composers who perished in or fled Europe during the Second World War.  Michael Shapiro worked as an assistant conductor at the Zurich Opera Studio and has appeared internationally as the conductor of his own music, including recording his film score for the Israel Broadcasting Authority documentary, Distant Relatives.  With The Chappaqua Orchestra, he premiered his score for the classic film, Frankenstein, at the Jacob Burns Film Center and later at the Paramount Theater.  Other performances of the work include its Boston premiere at Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline and the Midwest premiere by the Beloit Janesville Symphony, Robert Tomaro, conductor.  Mr. Shapiro served as one of the composers-in-residence at the 2010 Cabrillo Music Festival in Santa Cruz where the Festival Orchestra conducted by Marin Alsop performed the California premiere of his Roller Coaster (which received its first performance during The Chappaqua Orchestra's 50th Season).  This season’s highlights include the recording of Mr. Shapiro's Peace Variations by violinist Timothy Fain on Paumanok Records, the issuance on the Milken Archive of his Eliahu Hanavi Variations for solo cello played by Boston Symphony cellist Sato Knudsen, and the prime time broadcast of his film scores for a new NBC television crime show. Mr. Shapiro is currently working on Archangel Concerto for Piano and Orchestra to be premiered by Jeffrey Biegel, piano, Traverse Symphony Orchestra, Kevin Rhodes, conductor, in Interlachen, Michigan, and his Second Symphony. To learn more about Michael Shapiro, please visit  www.michaelshapiro.com

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