Meira Warshauer was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and graduated from Harvard University (magna cum laude), New England Conservatory of Music (with honors), and the University of South Carolina. She studied composition with Mario Davidovsky, Jacob Druckman, William Thomas McKinley, and Gordon Goodwin. Her works have been performed and recorded to critical acclaim throughout the United States and in Israel, Europe, South America, and Asia. She has received numerous awards from ASCAP as well as the American Music Center, Meet the Composer, and the South Carolina Arts Commission. Warshauer was awarded the Artist Fellowship in Music by the South Carolina Arts Commission in 1994, and in 2000, received the first Art and Cultural Achievement Award from the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina.
Warshauer has received commissions from the Dayton (Ohio) Philharmonic, the South Carolina Philharmonic (three orchestra works), the Zamir Chorale of Boston with the Rottenberg Chorale (New York City), Zemer Chai (Washington, DC), Gratz College (Philadelphia), Kol Dodi (New Jersey); the Cantors Assembly, clarinetist Richard Nunemaker, violinist Daniel Heifetz, and flutist Paula Robison. Her CDs include the soundtrack to the documentary Land of Promise: The Jews of South Carolina and Spirals of Light, chamber music and poetry (by Ani Tuzman) on themes of enlightenment, on the Kol Meira label, and Revelation for orchestra, included on Robert Black Conducts (MMC). YES! for clarinet and orchestra, written for and recorded by Richard Stoltzman and the Warsaw Philharmonic, is scheduled for release by MMC in 2004.
Warshauer is on the faculty of Columbia College, Columbia, South Carolina, where she teaches an innovative cross-cultural, multidisciplinary course on the experience of music as a source of healing. Warshauer has devoted much of her work to Jewish themes. In spring 2002, Kol Israel National Radio broadcast an hour-long program to her music. For more information about Meira Warshauer, visit her website at Meira Warshauer.
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Saturday, January 28, 2006
Day 3 in Bratislava
Today was Shabbat. I had a lovely time with Rabbi Baruch Myers and his wife Chani and their family and guests. Jennifer and I joined them for dinner last night I met Laura Berg there, who works in the cultural office of the US Embassy, and she will help get the word out about the concert to their consituency. Timi had contacted the Embassy, but Laura hadn't heard anything about the concert yet...maybe the personal contact will help. Some things are the same the world over...
Also at the rabbi's house was Yvette Fishbein and her family. Yvette defected from Slovakia duting the Communist era, and is visitng her home with her American family--seemed like the first time they are all here.
Today was the Bar Mitvah of Benjamin (not sure last name) which was an important event for the Jewish community as it was the first time in 32 years that a boy was called to the Torah as a Bar Mitzvah! It was a honor to be present. He was great.
The synagogue is impressive--a large structure--stone trim, two stories with a large women's balcony and a mehitzah downstairs, too. It is the only one functioning now in Bratislava, but was considered one of the smaller neighborhood shuls before the war. The Jewish community is small now, but there is a Jewish Day School for the primary grades (I think). The daughter of a friend from Crown Heights (Brooklyn)--Mina Caplan-- is teaching kindergarten there for the year.
Not much else to report as I rested during the "day of rest." Jennifer and I had a nice dinner at the restaurant next to the hotel, and came to check our e-mail. Big excitement in Bratislava... I'm sure there is a lot going on but we are happy staying quiet.
Tomorrow Michael and Stephanie arrive. I did arrange to meet with the chorus 15 minutes before our Monday rehearsal to go over the speech/singing section. I'm thinking I need to re-write it with some pitches and Jennfer offered to help transliterate the English into international phonetics. Will work on that tomorrow.
Dobre, I found out, means "great." So, ciao (what everyone says for "goodbye")
Meira
posted by Meira Warshauer
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