Harold Shapero

Harold Shapero (born 29 April 1920) is an American composer.

Postwar years

In 1945, Shapero married the painter Esther Geller. Throughout the rest of the decade they were often residents at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire, an artists' retreat established by the widow of Edward MacDowell. There Shapero composed his Symphony for Classical Orchestra.

Related Topics:
Esther Geller - MacDowell Colony - Edward MacDowell

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In 1947, Stravinsky and Shapero met again, and Shapero showed Stravinsky the score of the Symphony for Classical Orchestra. After looking at the score of the Symphony, Stravinsky advised Shapero to become a conductor. Leonard Bernstein conducted the world premiere performance with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Related Topics:
Leonard Bernstein - Boston Symphony Orchestra

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Aaron Copland thought highly of Shapero's technical skill and spontaneity of musical inspiration. One thing bothered him, though: In a 1948 New York Times article, he wrote that "Stylistically, Shapero seems to feel a compulsion to fashion his music after some great model. Thus, his ... Serenade ... is founded upon neoclassical Stravinskian principles, his three Amateur Piano Sonatas on Haydnesque principles, and his recent long Symphony is modeled after Beethoven. ... he seems to be suffering from a hero-worship complex — or perhaps it is a freakish attack of false modesty..."

Related Topics:
Aaron Copland - New York Times

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Brandeis University was founded in 1948, and in 1951 they hired Shapero to start its Music Department, and he was later chairman of the department and founder of its electronic music studio with the day's most advanced synthesizers. He taught at Brandeis for 37 years.

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In 1953 his daughter Hannah M.G. Shapero was born, and she was to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a painter.

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When awarded the Fulbright Fellowship in 1961, Shapero took the opportunity to travel to Europe with his family for a year. In 1970 he returned to Europe to be composer-in-residence at the American Academy in Rome.

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Andre Previn and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, spearheaded a revival of Shapero's Symphony for Classical Orchestra, under the auspices of the AT & T American Encore program. Andre Previn has recognized the value of the Symphony and has done much to promote it in the United States (with performances in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York and of course, Los Angeles) and the European Community (with performances in London, Amsterdam and Madrid).

Related Topics:
Andre Previn - Los Angeles Philharmonic

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In 1988, Shapero retired from Brandeis University to devote himself to composition. As of 2003, Shapero is still actively composing for both acoustic and electronic instruments.

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