Azica Records, Inc.
Recording Artist Profile...

Hecht & Shapiro
duo pianists

Hecht and Shapiro, the top-ranked American piano duo by virtue of their unanimous First Prize at the 1991 Ellis National Two-Piano Competition, have consistently finished highest among duo-pianists from the United States in major national and international competitions--a status which has helped make them the most sought-after piano teams before the public today.

Thomas Hecht and Sandra Shapiro met while both were studying under the direction of Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Conservatory. Both pianists had already won numerous competitions in the course of persuing their solo careers--even if it meant competing against each other upon occasions! These aspirations took on a new design when, just weeks before their wedding date, the two joined forces as a duo and won First Prize in the Peabody Piano Competition, launching what has become a remarkably successful career.

Among their many other awards are First Prize in the Chicago Civic Orchestra Soloists Auditions, Second Prize in the Dranoff International Two Piano Competition and Fourth Prize in the International Competition of the Jeunesses Musicales. They were the only pianists to reach th efinals of the 1990 Concert Artists Guild International Competition in New York.

Today the vibrant artistry of Hecht and Shapiro is heard in major musical centers throughout the United States. Their extensive concert engagements and recital tours have been highlighted by several appearances at Lincoln Center, where their debut with the New York Philharmonic was followed by an immediate reengagement for the Philharmonic's Chamber Ensembles Concerts. They have also performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., where they were invited to perform in the "Festival of Two Worlds" commemorating the 500th anniversary of Columbus's discovery of America. In the summer of 1991 they became the first piano duo ever to be in residence at the Tanglewood Music Festival, and in the fall of that year the were named Steinway Artists. They have also been designated the coveted Peabody Young Meastro Award.

Azica Release

sentimiento ACD-71201


This and all other Azica classical releases are featured in the Classical Library.