Background
Shapiro, Alex was born on January 11, 1962 in New York City. Daughter of Ivan and Maria Shapiro.
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Alex Shapiro
Edit ProfileEducation
Graduate, Juilliard School, New York City, 1980. Bachelor of Medicine in Composition, Manhattan School Music, New York, 1983.
Career
The majority of Shapiro"s catalog is chamber works, and since 2008 she has also composed several commissions for symphonic wind band, several of which include the use of prerecorded electronics. Performance highlights include Shapiro"s Sonata for Piano at the Beijing Modern Music Festival in China, Foreign My Father from her Piano Suite Number. 1: The Resonance of Childhood on the MoMA of New York series The American Season in Berlin, Desert Tide premiered at the Stellenbosch New Music and Art Festival in South Africa, Trio for Clarinet, Violin and Piano at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, District of Columbia and At the Abyss performed at Carnegie Hall in New New York
Other notable works in her catalog include Deep, a work for contrabassoon and electronics.
A flute quartet, Bioplasm. A string quintet, Current Events, and Paper Cut, for wind band, electronics and printer paper, commissioned by the American Composers Forum BandQuest series in 2010.
Shapiro is an active participant in the United States. art music community. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the American Music Center and the MacDowell Colony and sits on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Symphony & Concert Committee.
In 2010 she was elected as the concert music composer representative to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Board of Review.
She is the recent President of the Board of Directors of The American Composers Forum of Los Angeles and Moderator of the Los Angeles Composers Salon series from 2000 to the present, for which she has interviewed over 100 composers. Shapiro testified in September 2009 on a Federal Communications Commission panel hearing in Washington, District of Columbia, about broadband access and digital rights issues. Shapiro served on the Board of Directors of the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California from 1990 to 1996, including a term as the 30,000-member affiliate"s Vice President.
She is the recipient of three awards from the American Civil Liberties Union honoring her activism, including being named the 1993 Chapter Activist of the Year.
"American Composer: Alex Shapiro", Kyle Gann, Chamber Music, May/June, 2008.
Achievements
Membership
Co-founder The Clinic Defense Alliance, Los Angeles, 1989—1993. Vice president American Civil Liberties Union Southern California, 1992—1996. Chairman state and national legislation action committee, 1990—1996.
Board directors Southern California chapter, 1992—1996. Member, board trustees Spring St. International School, 2008—2010. Member Advancement Board Friday Harbor Laboratories, since 2008.
Vice president Institute.First Amendment Studies, Los Angeles, 1990—1992. Member of Friday Harbor Laboratories (advancement board since 2008), MacDowell Colony (board directors since 2010), American Society Composers, Authors and Public (co-chairman internet rights committee 1997-1998, Symphony & Concert Committee since 2009, board review since 2010), The Recording Academy, National Music Public Association, National Association Composers (secretary 1998—2002), Society Composers, Inc., College Music Society, American Composers Forum (chairman advisory council 2000-2006, moderator composer salon series since 2001, president board directors 2003-2006, Distinguished Service award 2001, Subito award 2003, 2005), Film Music Society, Society Composers and Lyricists (vice president board directors 1994-1996, chairman film and television music state of art conferences 1994—2000), Chamber Music American, International Alliance Women Music, Society Electro Acoustic Music, American Music Center, The Dominant Club, Sigma Alpha Iota Composers Bureau, Mu Phi Epsilon (International Company, Association for Convention Marketing Executives since 2008).
Interests
Connections
Married Charles Anthony Richardson, October 4, 2003.
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Born
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Nationality
United States
Education
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1980
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1983
Awards
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Named American Civil Liberties Union Southern California Chapter Activist of Year, 1993. Recipient Metropolitan Life Creative Connections award, Meet Composer, 2009, Aliénor Harpsichord Composition Competition, 2008, Subito award, American Composers Forum, 2005, Music Teachers National Association Commissioned Composer award, 2005. Fellow, Alpha Chi Omega Foundation, 2003, The California Arts Council, 2000-2001, The MacDowell Colony, Peterborough, New Hampshire, 2003. Margaret Jory grantee, The American Music Center, 2003.Named American Civil Liberties Union Southern California Chapter Activist of Year, 1993. Recipient Metropolitan Life Creative Connections award, Meet Composer, 2009, Aliénor Harpsichord Composition Competition, 2008, Subito award, American Composers Forum, 2005, Music Teachers National Association Commissioned Composer award, 2005. Fellow, Alpha Chi Omega Foundation, 2003, The California Arts Council, 2000-2001, The MacDowell Colony, Peterborough, New Hampshire, 2003.
Margaret Jory grantee, The American Music Center, 2003.