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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Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Going to Slovakia tomorrow!!
It's one day before what feels like the most important trip of my life (at least until now). For over two years, I've been planning and praying for this recording project of "Shacharit (interpreting the Sabbath morning service)," "Ahavah (Love)" and "Like Streams in the Desert." (There's a section of my home page with program notes about these compositions, text translations, bios of the performers, etc.) Shacharit and Ahavah are my two biggest compositions--orchestra, chorus, soloists, narrator--and full of my dreams and hopes and prayers. It's a huge deal for me to record them with the Slovak Radio orchestra and Kirk Trevor. The orchestra also decided to present a concert and to broadcast it (later) on Slovak Radio, which is very exciting. I found amazing soloists--Jennifer Hines, Michael Hendrick, and Stephanie Gregory--and we're all going over to Bratislava for the rehearsals and recording sessions which start Monday, and concert next Thursday February 2. (The concert will be recorded for later broadcast.) Carol Potter recorded the narration in English from Los Angeles, and I edited it here in Columbia, SC, with John Epps. That's just for the recording--Kirk said someone from the radio will narrate for the concert in Slovakian!
So, the day before the big trip. I'm up at 4 a.m. to write this. Promised Jeff (Jeffrey James Arts Consultling--my fantastic agent) that I'd write a blog today so he could send out a notice about the project and include the link. He thought it would help if there was something at the other end of the link--good idea, yes? This is my first blog ever. I first learned about blogging from Alex on the Doonsbury comic strip. I've never read a blog, much less written one!
Like with any trip (of mine, at least), the day before really needs to be a week, except that if it were a week, I'd still be putting off too much for the last day--I haven't figured out a way to really get ready before. Today I have to pick up the sizzle cymbal that percussionistMatthew Jones was preparing. They don't have a sizzle cymbal in the SRO (Slovak Radio Orchestra) so Kirk asked me to bring one. Along with the two rainsticks, vibraslap, hammers for the chimes, and maybe a metal guiro--all are in my music. Manny Lifschitz (owner of Star Music) didn't have a sizzle cymbal in stock and it would take Ziljian cymbal company too long to make and send one, so Matthew offered to put in the rivets that make the cymbal sizzle. I love percussion!! I also love the musical community in Columbia that has been my nurturing underpinning.
Speaking of nurturing underpinnings--there are so many people I owe getting to this place--my parents, of course; my husband Sam, our children (now grown!), my teachers--especially Dick Goodwin, Mario Davidovsky, and mentor Sam Adler. Dear friends and supporters. The most amazing thing about this process, though, has been knowing that it's bigger than me--I really believe it is something God wants me to do, and when I let myself relax into it, I can feel God is guiding it much more than I usually realize. That is what is going to get me through the next week and a half. I hope I remember to remember!
Thanks to all of you who are reading this. You'll be my touchstone--my reason for connecting.
I hope this music will make a positive contribution to the world. I hope we all, in each of our lives, have and take the opportunities to fulfill our destinies.
Blessings,
Meira
posted by Meira Warshauer
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