Friends and Collaborators
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- With the incomparable Pablo Casals in Jerusalem, making a point to a very young Shulamit
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- An early photo with the legendary Arthur Rubinstein, signed by him with an inscription.
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- With American music icon Ralph Shapey — Composer, Conductor, Mentor
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- With life-long friend, distinguished Israeli composer Tzvi Avni, at his home in Tel Aviv, Israel.
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- With librettist Charles Kondek, during rehearsals of “Between Two Worlds (the Dybbuk)”, 1997
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- With pianist Seth Knopp, about to rehearse “Verticals” for the SHULAMIT RAN album on New World Records (2001)
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- With composer Lei Liang at the American Academy in Rome in 2012
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- With violist Melia Watras, rehearsing for the premiere of Shulamit’s “Perfect Storm” at the University of Washington in 2010
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- With maestro Gustavo Dudamel, following performance of Shulamit’s “Vessels of Courage and Hope” with the Israel Philharmonic at the Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv in 2007.
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- With Ars Nova Copenhagen and Paul Hillier, music director, following a performance in Copenhagen of Shulamit’s “Credo/Ani Ma’amin” in 2012
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- With Pacifica Quartet following their performance of “Glitter, Doom, Shards, Memory, String Quartet No. 3” at the Royal Conservatory in Toronto in 2014.
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- With cellist Joel Krosnick and violinist Laurie Smukler following the premiere of “A due,” which Laurie had commissioned, at Kneisel Hall Chamber Music School and Festival in Maine in 2012.
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- Taking a bow with a quartet of young musicians following their performance of “Vistas, String Quartet No. 2” at Kneisel Hall in 2012.
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- With Maestra Marin Alsop after a performance at the Ravinia Festival of “Chicago Skyline” with the brass and percussion of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 2023.
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- With Israeli composer Betty Olivero and soprano Lucy Shelton following a concert at the Tel Aviv Museum in Israel in 2018 featuring music by Olivero and Ran
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- With Martha Feldman, Augusta Read Thomas, and Avi Lotan — Shulamit’s husband — following a presentation in 2016 for Chicago’s EarTaxi Festival, conceived and directed by Thomas
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- Group photo with fellow composers and friends Yehudi Weiner, Eric Chasalow, James Primosch, and Augusta Read Thomas at Tanglewood following the premiere performance of “Birkat Haderekh —Blessing for the Road” in 2015
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- Sharing a chuckle with flutist Mary Stolper and pianist Kuang-Hao Huang following the premiere of “Birds of Paradise” at the National Flute Association annual convention in 2014
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- Always with a twinkle in her eyes, clarinetist Laura Flax heading for her dressing room, for the American premiere of “The Show Goes On” with the American Symphony Orchestra at Bard College in 2009
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- With fellow composers and friends George Tsontakis, Christopher Rouse, and Steven Stucky, as part of a residency at the Aspen Music Festival in 2015
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- Sharing a meal and camaraderie with composers Sofia Gubaidulina, Marta Ptaszynska, Gunther Schuller, and Shulamit in her role as Artistic Director of Contempo (Contemporary Chamber Players of the University of Chicago), following a Contempo 50th Anniversary Season concert premiering newly commissioned works by Gubaidulina and Schuller.
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- With composer Richard Wernick and soprano Elsa Charlston at Elsa’s apartment. Behind them is a painting by famed Chicago artist Vera Klement.
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- With the Juilliard Quartet following their performance of “Vistas, String Quartet No. 2” at Lincoln Center in 2015
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- A performance of “Credo/Ani Ma’amin” at Chicago’s beautiful KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation, conducted by Carmen Helena Tellez
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- Post-performance with Carmen Helena Tellez
Tanglewood, 2008
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- With singer Lucy Shelton
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- With pianist Ursula Oppens
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- With composer Yao Chen
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- With composer John Harbison
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- With composer/conductor Oliver Knussen
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- Elliott Carter, six composition fellows, John Harbison and Shulamit Ran at Tanglewood, 2008
Nina Frenkel’s Brave Chicken
Brave Chicken was a character developed by artist Nina Frenkel, who passed away at the age of forty-three. Her parents commissioned a short work in her memory, suggesting that it be based on these four delightful panels painted by Nina in 2014. The Flight of the Brave Chicken: Ode to Nina premiered on December 11, 2018.
READ MORE ABOUT THE PIECE-
- Brave Chicken Meets the Ogre
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- Brave Chicken Fights the Ogre
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- Brave Chicken Flees to Safety
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- Brave Chicken in the Healing Hut
The Academic Life
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- Shulamit on the way to receiving her first honorary doctorate in 1987 from Mount Holyoke College. Composer/colleague/friend and mentor Ralph Shapey, who flew in from Chicago, can be seen (by a keen eye) sitting behind her in the audience.
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- With Sofia Gubaidulina at the University of Chicago in 2012, when Gubaidulina was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Shulamit presented Gubaidulina her degree.
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- With Sofia Gubaidulina and Martha Feldman in 2011
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- Shulamit delivering the annual Ryerson Lecture at the University of Chicago in 2010
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- Shulamit at the University of Chicago Department of Music, Fulton Hall. Photo: Valerie Booth
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- With Robert Zimmer, President of the University of Chicago, and Professor Martha Feldman, April 2015
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- With composers/University of Chicago colleagues Augusta (Gusty) Thomas and Marta Ptaszynska
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- Delivering the address “Why We Make Art” at University of Chicago’s convocation on June 13, 2015.
The Anne Frank Spirit
“Though closely based on the Diary, neither the libretto nor the opera is intended to be a replication of the Diary, or attempt to follow a precise historical narrative. It is, first and far most, about the Anne Frank spirit, and her humanity.”
ANNE FRANK – An Opera in Two Acts (2016–22) premiered at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater (Bloomington, IN) in early 2023. To learn more about its creation, from inspiration to production, follow the link below.
READ MORE ABOUT THE WORK-
- Stage bow (cast 1), with Stage Director Crystal Manich, Maestro Fagen, and Shulamit at the center
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- Full cast and production team taking bows
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- From “Anne Frank”
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- From the 2023 premiere of “Anne Frank” — Prisoners Chorus
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- Poster for the “Anne Frank” premiere production
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- From “Anne Frank”
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- From the 2023 premiere of “Anne Frank”
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- With Maestro Arthur Fagen following a performance of the premiere production of the opera “Anne Frank” in 2023
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- With the cast after the premiere
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- With the cast after the premiere
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- A scene from the conclusion of Act I of “Anne Frank”, with soprano Kate Johnson portraying Anne. (Anne Slovin portrayed Anne Frank in the alternate cast.)
Glitter, Doom, Shards — The Art of Felix Nussbaum
Felix Nussbaum (1904–1944) was a German-Jewish painter who, like so many others, perished in the Holocaust at a young age, leaving deeply moving art that spoke to the life that was unraveling around him. His work helped to inspire String Quartet No. 3 “Glitter, Doom, Shards, Memory.”
READ MORE ABOUT THE PIECE-
- Felix Nussbaum, Self-Portrait with Jewish Identity Card, 1943. Photo: Felix Nussbaum Haus, Osnabrück
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- Felix Nussbaum, Triumph of Death (1944). Collection: Felix Nussbaum Haus, Osnabrück. Photo: Niedersächsische Sparkassenstiftung
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- Felix Nussbaum painting “The storm” (the exiles), 1941. Photo: Felix-Nussbaum-Haus und Kulturgeschichtliches Museum, Osnabrück
With the CSO
Photos courtesy of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association’s Rosenthal Archives
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- With Maestro Barenboim following the 1988 performance of “Concerto for Orchestra” (Terry’s Photography)
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- With Maestro Barenboim following the performance of “Concerto for Orchestra” (Terry’s Photography)
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- With composer John Corigliano, the CSO’s Composer-in-Residence in 1988 (Terry’s Photography)
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- With Henry Fogel, President of the CSO, at a pre-concert conversation prior to the premiere of “Legends for Orchestra” in October 1993 (Photo: Jim Steere)
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- Following a performance of “Legends for Orchestra” in October 1993. On stage with Maestro Daniel Barenboim (Photo: Jim Steere)
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- Thanking the audience following the repeat performances by the CSO in 2004 of “Legends” (© Todd Rosenberg Photography)
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- Gratitude to the orchestra following repeat CSO performances and the Albany label recording in 2004 of “Legends”, conducted by Daniel Barenboim (© Todd Rosenberg Photography)
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- Six former CSO composers-in-residence at MusicNOW’s 20th anniversary concert in 2017: Augusta Read Thomas, Samuel Adams, Elizabeth Ogonek, John Corigliano, Shulamit Ran, and Mason Bates, with Shulamit represented by her “Birkat Haderekh — Blessing for the Road”. (© Todd Rosenberg Photography)
“Between Two Worlds (The Dybbuk)”
Some photos from the 1997 Lyric Opera premiere of “Between Two Worlds (The Dybbuk)” at the Merle Reskin Theatre
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- Program book cover of the original production; image design by Danilla Korogodsky
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- With stage director Jonathan Eaton, librettist Charles Kondek, and set designer Danila Korogodsky, ahead of the premiere
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- With soprano Maria Kanyova who portrayed Leya
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- By the backstage of the Merle Reskin Theatre with an audience member after the performance
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- With Charles Kondek, by the backstage door
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- Libretto by Charles Kondek as published by the Lyric Opera of Chicago for the premiere production, rendering of Leya’s costume by Danilla Korogodsky
Cover Art
At the “workbench”
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- Up at the Wall Studio, a quiet work haven at the American Academy in Rome (photo: Noa Giniger)
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- At home, in an interview with Spektral Quartet’s violist Doyle Armbrust
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- Shulamit at the University of Chicago Department of Music, Fulton Hall. Photo: Valerie Booth
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- And then there’s this … at home in Tel Aviv, a youngster hard at work
