Liv Redpath is one of the most promising young soprano leggero on the opera and concert stage today. During the disrupted 2020-21 season, Ms. Redpath was scheduled to open the Los Angeles Philharmonic season at Disney Hall, sharing a program with Lang Lang under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel before traveling to New York to open the Carnegie Hall season with the same program; join Alan Gilbert to make her debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra singing Nielsen’s Symphony #3; sing Poulenc’s Gloria and a world-premiere new composition by Peter-Jan Wagemans conducted by Karina Canellakis with the Radio Filharmonisch Orkest; perform Handel’s Messiah with the New York Philharmonic and National Symphony, both conducted by Fabio Biondi; return to the Metropolitan Opera to cover Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia under Roderick Cox and sing the role of the fifteen-year old girl in Berg’s Lulu led by Sebastian Weigle; take on the title role of Haydn’s Armida with the Bregenzer Festspiele, and make her debut with La Monnaie singing Madame Herz in Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor conducted by Alain Altinoglu in performances at the Palais des Beaux-Arts.

During the 2019-20 season, Ms. Redpath made her role and house debut at Deutsche Oper Berlin singing Marguerite de Valois in David Alden’s production of Meyerbeer’s Les Huguenots under the baton of Alexander Vedernikov and covered the role of Sophie in Robert Carsen’s production of Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss at the Metropolitan Opera conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Concert appearances included singing the role of Crobyle in Massenet’s Thaïs with Toronto Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis that was recorded for release on the Chandos label; Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 with conductor Yaniv Dinur and the New Bedford Symphony; and an evening with the Bakken Trio in her native Minnesota to sing Boulanger’s Clairières dans le ciel, Fauré’s La Bonne Chanson, and André Previn’s Four Songs.

Soprano Laquita Mitchell consistently earns acclaim on eminent international opera and concert stages worldwide.  In her compelling début as Bess in Porgy and Bess with the San Francisco Opera, Opera News said “Laquita Mitchell, in her first outing as Bess, dazzled the SFO [San Francisco Opera] audience with her purity of tone and vivid theatrical presence.” She has since reprised the role with The Atlanta Opera, The Tanglewood Festival, Madison Symphony, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Toledo Opera, Springfield Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Sheboygan Symphony, Traverse City Symphony, the Margaret Island Open-Air Theatre in Budapest for their summer festival, and as the season opener for the Energa Sopot Classic Festival with the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra. Additionally, PBS invited Ms. Mitchell to perform a solo recital including excerpts from Porgy and Bess with pianist Craig Terry for the Television Critics Association Press Tour in Los Angeles in preparation for the broadcast and DVD release of SFO’s Porgy and Bess.

Her performance as Bess is constantly received with critical acclaim, Opera News hailed that her “fine voice has a lovely tonal sheen and soaring high notes” and the Boston Globe wrote “Laquita MItchell showed off a supple and refined soprano as Bess, infusing the role with a touching vulnerability and innocence.” This season, Ms. Mitchell reprises the role of Bess in Porgy and Bess with Grange Park Opera in the UK, Lithuanian State Symphony and Harrisburg Symphony and performs as a soloist in Sanctuary Road and Porgy Suite with the Columbus Symphony.  She will also perform in Colorado Symphony’s Valentine’s Day concert and make a long-awaited role debut as the title role in Aida for Virginia Opera.

Notable engagements include her creation of the role of Josephine Baker in Tom Cipullo’s Josephine for Opera Colorado, Coretta Scott King in I Dream with Opera Grand Rapids, Toledo Opera and Opera Carolina, Violetta in La traviata Opera Memphis, New York City Opera, and Edmonton Opera, and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Florentine Opera and Portland Opera. Recent concert engagements include the soprano solo in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with Berkeley Symphony, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 with Missoula Symphony, the world première of Moravec’s Sanctuary Road at Carnegie Hall with Oratorio Society of New York and her return to the Philadelphia Orchestra to perform in their Academy Ball alongside Steve Martin and led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.

In her role début as Violetta in La traviata with New York City Opera, she was labeled “extraordinary,” thanks to her “wide expressive range and big-hearted sound that contains just a hint of sexy smokiness. Her ‘Sempre libera’ was enlivened by a rhythmic clarity that made it seem almost danceable.” Other appearances include Leonora in Il trovatore in South Carolina as well as with Nashville Opera; Countess in Le nozze di Figaro with Toledo Opera;  the role of Sharon in Terrance McNally’s Master Class at the Kennedy Center; Musetta in La bohème in a return to the Los Angeles Opera; Mimì in La bohème with Cincinnati Opera, and at the Utah Symphony and Opera; Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Florentine Opera, Portland Opera, and Opera New Jersey; Clara in Porgy and Bess with Los Angeles Opera, Washington National Opera, Opéra Comique in Paris and on tour in Caen and Granada, Spain; and Micaëla in Carmen with New York City Opera, Opera Pacific, and most recently, Cincinnati Opera, where the Cincinnati Enquirer hailed “Mitchell shone in the role of Micaëla, the peasant girl who loves Don José. She was a natural actress, and sang with expressive beauty whenever she was onstage.”

An active concert artist, Ms. Mitchell recently performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the Philadelphia Orchestra at Saratoga Performing Arts Center; Over the Rainbow – an evening honoring Harold Arlen at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall; Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915 with the Louisville Orchestra; a début with the New World Symphony in Alberto Ginastera’s Cantata para la América Mágica; the world première of composer Steven Stucky’s August 4, 1964 with Dallas Symphony Orchestra; her Boston Symphony Orchestra début as the soprano soloist in Wynton Marsalis’ All Rise under the direction of Kurt Masur; and the soprano solo in Tippett’s A Child of our Time with the Washington Chorus at Kennedy Center. She has also performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New Jersey Symphony, Princeton Symphony Orchestra, the New York Symphonic Ensemble at Alice Tully Hall, and with Branford Marsalis and the Garden State Philharmonic. Additionally, she performs in recitals annually at Harare International Festival of the Arts in Zimbabwe.

Ms. Mitchell is an alumna of the Houston Grand Opera Studio, where she performed a variety of roles including stand-out performances in contemporary operas such as Orquidea in Daniel Catán’s Salsipuedes (world première), Myhrrine in Mark Adamo’s Lysistrata (world première), Barena in David Alden’s production of Jenůfa, and The Water in Rachel Portman’s The Little Prince (world première) directed by Francesca Zambello and conducted by Patrick Summers. Ms. Mitchell was previously a member of the San Francisco Opera’s world-renowned Merola Program. She then joined Wolf Trap Opera in performances as Alice Ford in Antonio Salieri’s Falstaff, Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, and presented a recital with renowned pianist Steven Blier.

A native of New York City, Ms. Mitchell was a 2004 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions Grand Prize Winner and was awarded a Sara Tucker Award. She was also the First Prize Winner of the Wiener Kammer Oper’s Hans Gabor Belvedere Competition, making her the first American to win this competition in over twenty years. Additionally, Ms. Mitchell was the First Prize Winner of the Houston Grand Opera Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, as well as the winner of the Audience Choice award. Ms. Mitchell holds a Master of Music degree and the Professional Studies Certificate at the Manhattan School of Music and completed undergraduate studies at Westminster Choir College.

Anne Runolfsson recently completed a 2 year run on Broadway as the tempestuous diva, Carlotta Giudacelli in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, the longest running show in Broadway history. Prior to that, she made an absolute splash in Victor/Victoria as standby to Dame Julie Andrews and Liza Minelli. She performed the title role over 120 times to great acclaim and went on to recreate the role in the National Tour which began in Seattle and Houston. Other Broadway and National Tour credits include:  the role of Gretta Conroy in James Joyce’s The Dead, Fantine in Les Miserable, Roxane in Cyrano-The Musical, Lili in The Secret Garden, and Aspects of Love. Off-Broadway and Regional credits include: Listen to My Heart (Studio 54), Rags, Jack’s Holiday, Cather County, A Little Night Music, Showboat, and Funny Girl.

She has appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall (with Tenor Jose Carreras), The Kennedy Center, Town Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, The National Theater in Iceland, Rainbow and Stars, The Russian Tea Room, Bay Street Theater, The Pump Room, The Cinegrill, The 92nd st. Y, and with The National Symphony, The Philly Pops, The Boston Pops, The Jerusalem Symphony, The Orchestra of St. Lukes, The National Symphony of Canada, The Hong Kong Philharmonic, The Cincinnati Pops, Oklahoma City Philharmonic, The Buffalo Philharmonic, and the Symphony orchestras of  San Francisco, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Indianapolis, Toronto, Milwaukee, Utah, Detroit,  Dallas, Houston, Columbus, San Diego., Colorado, Minnesota, and St. Louis among many others.  Her many recordings include the International Cast Album of Les Miserables, Listen to My Heart, Broadway Musicals of 1933, and her solo debut recording, At Sea, which was critically acclaimed nationwide.

In the great and often underappreciated art of piano duo playing, Sivan Silver and her partner Gil Garburg are setting a new standard: acclaimed by audiences and critics alike, the duo has been invited time and time again by top orchestras, festivals, and concert organizers. They have performed in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Vienna Musikverein, the Salzburg Festspielhaus, the Sydney Opera House and the Berlin Philharmonie; they have concertized in approximately 70 countries on five continents; and they collaborate regularly with such orchestras as the Israel Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the Melbourne Symphony and the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie.

Their recording of Mendelssohn’s concertos for two pianos and orchestra, with the Bavarian Chamber Philharmonic under Christopher Hogwood, has been called “breathtaking” (Bayerische Rundfunk), “extremely exciting” (Süddeutsche Zeitung), and “brilliant” (Rondo). Their Stravinsky ballets CD has been described as “grandiose” (Pizzicato, Supersonic Award), “thrilling” (Fono Forum, CD of the Month) and “wonderfully enchanting” (Der Neue Merker). The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung raved about the “lyrical sensitivity and the ravishing technical mastery” of the duo, noting that only rarely does one experience “such spontaneous shouts of ‘bravo’” at the end of a concert. The Independent concluded: “What a wondrous evening!”

Their most recent album, “Illumination”, was presented in a recital at the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and released in April 2019 under the Berlin Classics label. “Let there be light!” titles the music magazine Concerti its choice as “CD of the week” and praises the “superb tonal sensibility, outstanding ensemble playing and imaginative rubati and agogic”. “The Schumann is played beautifully and is actually better than the very good Argerich and Barenboim recording” commends the American Record Guide and concludes “The whole package is truly, as titled, an ‘Illumination’ of works”. “The publication comes close to an enlightening revelation” raves the Aachener Zeitung. “A veritable aha effect” enthuses the Piano News reviewer, who describes the recording as “illuminating the complexity of this masterpiece in a way that has never been heard before”. Radio Bremen describes “The greatest art of two pianos playing. Stunning virtuosity… fantastic interplay… How Sivan Silver and Gil Garburg master this extremely delicate task borders on a miracle” and concludes “With this record, the two have ultimately established themselves at the top of the international piano duo scene”.

The Silver-Garburg Piano Duo joined forces with the Vienna Symphony and Maestro Florian Krumpöck to record the world premiere of a new concerto, which was written for and dedicated to them: Richard Dünser’s adaptation of Brahms Quartet op. 25 for piano, four hands and string orchestra, which is based on the two original versions by Brahms (for piano quartet and for piano, four hands). The recording took place at the Wiener Konzerthaus and will be released in 2020.

The Silver-Garburg Piano Duo looks forward to exciting concerts in the upcoming seasons. The two Israelis, who live in Berlin with their son, can be heard in North and Latin America, East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, and in numerous European countries. Highlights include performances with the Lucerne Symphony at the Musikverein in Vienna and at the KKL Lucerne, with the Belgian National Orchestra at the Großes Festspielhaus in Salzburg and at the Bozar in Brussels. The duo appears as soloists with the Orchestra of the Americas, alongside Yo-Yo Ma and Claudio Bohorquez, at their 2021 European tour. Sivan and Gil are happy to continue their musical collaboration with orchestras such as the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie, Jerusalem Symphony, Bruno Walter Symphony, Wiener Concert-Verein, Mantua Chamber, Israel Chamber, Berlin Symphony, Bayerische Kammerphilharmonie, Brno Philharmonic and many more.

Since 2014, the Silver-Garburg Duo occupy one of the few extant professorships for piano duo, at the Graz University for the Arts. They present master-classes at leading academic institutes in Moscow, Beijing, Melbourne, Vienna, Jerusalem, Wellington, Tallinn, Washington, Helsinki, Bratislava and more. Previously, they taught at the Hannover Musikhochschule, at which they themselves completed their studies in 2007 under Prof. Arie Vardi.

Silver and Garburg were well on the way to promising solo careers when they paired up first privately and then at the piano. “We express our own emotions and, at the same time, a combined sensibility. We are one, and yet we’re in dialogue with each other – that’s the magic,” says Silver. And Garburg adds: “The more we work together, the more we grow together and the freer we become. Like a conductor realizes his or her vision with an orchestra, we can realize all that we envision with four hands.”

After 20 years of playing together, Sivan Silver and Gil Garburg are establishing themselves at the top echelon of the music world. “As a piano duo, it’s easy to make effects with virtuosity. But that alone is far too little. We want to move our listeners emotionally and bring them to the core of the music”.

Listen to Silver-Garburg here.

One of the most sought-after soloists in his generation of young American musicians, the pianist Orion Weiss has performed with the major American orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic. His deeply felt and exceptionally crafted performances go far beyond his technical mastery and have won him worldwide acclaim.

His 2018-19 season sees him beginning that season with the Lucerne Festival and ending with the Minnesota Orchestra, with performances for the Denver Friends of Chamber Music, the University of Iowa, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Albany Symphony, the Kennedy Center’s Fortas Series, the 92nd Street Y, and the Broad Stage in between. In 2017-18 Orion performed Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, toured with James Ehnes, and soloed with twelve orchestras around the United States. Other highlights of recent seasons include his third performance with the Chicago Symphony, a North American tour with the world-famous Salzburg Marionette Theater in a performance of Debussy’s La Boîte à Joujoux, the release of his recording of Christopher Rouse’s Seeing, and recordings of the complete Gershwin works for piano and orchestra with his longtime collaborators the Buffalo Philharmonic and JoAnn Falletta.

Named the Classical Recording Foundation’s Young Artist of the Year in September 2010, in the summer of 2011 Weiss made his debut with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood as a last-minute replacement for Leon Fleisher. In recent seasons, he has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and in duo summer concerts with the New York Philharmonic at both Lincoln Center and the Bravo! Vail Valley Festival. In 2005, he toured Israel with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Itzhak Perlman.

Also known for his affinity and enthusiasm for chamber music, Weiss performs regularly with the violinists Augustin Hadelich, William Hagen, Benjamin Beilman, James Ehnes, and Arnaud Sussman; the pianist Shai Wosner; and the cellist Julie Albers; and the Ariel, Parker, and Pacifica Quartets. As a recitalist and chamber musician, Weiss has appeared across the U.S. at venues and festivals including Lincoln Center, the Ravinia Festival, Sheldon Concert Hall, the Seattle Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Music Society SummerFest, Chamber Music Northwest, the Bard Music Festival, the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, the Kennedy Center, and Spivey Hall. He won the 2005 William Petschek Recital Award at Juilliard, and made his New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall that April. Also in 2005 he made his European debut in a recital at the Musée du Louvre in Paris. He was a member of the Chamber Music Society Two program of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center from 2002-2004, which included his appearance in the opening concert of the Society’s 2002-2003 season at Alice Tully Hall performing Ravel’s La Valse with Shai Wosner.

Weiss’s impressive list of awards includesthe Gilmore Young Artist Award, an Avery Fisher Career Grant, the Gina Bachauer Scholarship at the Juilliard School and the Mieczyslaw Munz Scholarship. A native of Lyndhurst, OH, Weiss attended the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with Paul Schenly, Daniel Shapiro, Sergei Babayan, Kathryn Brown, and Edith Reed. In February of 1999, Weiss made his Cleveland Orchestra debut performing Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1. In March 1999, with less than 24 hours’ notice, Weiss stepped in to replace André Watts for a performance of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. He was immediately invited to return to the Orchestra for a performance of the Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto in October 1999. In 2004, he graduated from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Emanuel Ax.

Basso Buffo Kevin Glavin’s career highlights have included Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Don Magnifico in La Cenerentola with San Francisco Opera; the title role in Don Pasquale, Mustafà in L’Italiana in Algeri, Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Don Inigo Gomez in Ravel’s L’Heure Espagnole, and the Sacristan in Tosca with New York City Opera; the title role in Don Pasquale with Glimmerglass Opera, Opera Colorado, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, and L’Opéra de Montréal; Bartolo in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with Seattle Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Washington Opera, the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Florentine Opera, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Vancouver Opera, the Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), and the Teatro Teresa Carreño (Caracas); Mustafà in L’Italiana in Algeriwith Glimmerglass Opera, Opéra de Québec, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia; Don Magnifico in La Cenerentolawith the Opera Company of Philadelphia, Baltimore Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, Opera Columbus, L’Opéra de Montréal, and the Teatro Municipal de Santiago; Dulcamara in L’Elisir D’Amore with Florida Grand Opera, Pittsburgh Opera, and Arizona Opera; Sulpice in La Fille du Regiment with Edmonton Opera; General Boum in Offenbach’s La Grande Duchesse and Benoit / Alcindoro in La Boheme with the Opera Company of Philadelphia; Scirocco in L’Étoile with Cincinnati Opera; Bartolo in Le Nozze di Figaro with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Vancouver Opera, and the Opera Company of Philadelphia; Brighella in Wagner’s Das Liebesverbot with Glimmerglass Opera; Leporello in Don Giovanni, Don Alfonso in Cosi Fan Tutte, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Benoit / Alcindoro in La Boheme, and Pistola in Falstaff with Pittsburgh Opera; King Louis XVI in The Ghosts of Versailles with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis; the Sacristan in Tosca with Lyric Opera of Kansas City; and Frank in Die Fledermaus with Baltimore Opera.

Additional highlights have included Holiday Concerts with the Pittsburgh Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, and the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Marvin Hamlisch at the Kennedy Center.

Lori grew up in Houston, Texas and began singing at age 5.  She nurtured her love for music by singing in church and school choirs, then moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend Belmont University as a music major.  While a student there, she not only landed her first recording contract, but secured a spot as a background vocalist for Gospel Music Artist, Michael W. Smith.  She spent the next 4 years touring as part of Smith’s band, writing songs, and recording.  Additionally, as a session singer, Lori sang background vocals on numerous albums from Country, to Pop, to Gospel.

Later, Lori became a one half of the pop duo “Wilshire” and the band relocated from Nashville to Los Angeles.  The band’s unique sound quickly caught on, landing them a record deal with Columbia Records and Warner-Chappell Publishing.  The duo wrote their hit single, “Special,” which climbed the Billboard Top 20 chart.  They toured with artists like “Train” and “Seal,” as well as performing live on Late Night, The Sharon Osbourne Show, Wayne Brady, and Pepsi Smash.

Today, Lori’s voice can be heard on national commercials for brands such as Mercedes-Benz and Claritin.  She has most recently performed with symphonies in Houston, Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Detroit, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Valerie Simpson is half of the songwriting-performing-producing entity formerly known as Ashford and Simpson. Their award winning collaborations began 4 decades ago and she along with her late husband Nick Ashford have penned classic hits such as, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “You’re All I Need to Get By,” “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand,” “I’m Every Woman,” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing,” “Solid,” “Your Precious Love,” “I Don’t Need No Doctor,” and “Let’s Go Get Stoned” among others.

She serves on the board of the ASCAP Foundation where an award has been established to aid struggling songwriters called the REACH OUT AND TOUCH Award which honors Nick Ashford. Valerie owns and runs a popular New York Westside Music Club and Restaurant called The Sugar Bar where young writers-singers-musicians have a platform to perform. Valerie has toured with Dave Koz and a special guest this year with Paul Shaffer & the Worlds Most Dangerous Band. Her Music is in constant demand and four Ashford & Simpson songs are now featured in the Broadway hit MOTOWN-The Musical, which is touring the country. “IM EVERY WOMAN” is featured in THE BODYGUARD the play which is currently on tour. Most recently, Valerie, as performer, was also featured in New York’s CHICAGO, The Musical on Broadway for a limited engagement in the role of Mama Morton–adding yet a new, exciting dimension to a diversified career.

Brass Transit was formed in 2008 and brought together 8 of the most talented and accomplished award-winning musicians. Their sole purpose was to pay tribute to one of the world’s greatest and most successful pop/rock groups of all time, CHICAGO.

Since then, the group has toured North America dazzling audiences with their flawless performances and spectacular attention to every detail of the CHICAGO songbook. Hit like: “Saturday in the Park,” “25 or 6 to 4,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “You’re The Inspiration” have left crowds in awe and on their feet more than once during a show, evoking comments like “Spine-Tingling,” “Brought me back to my youth,” and “Perfect in every detail.” Bass Transit goes far beyond just imitating the songs, they embody the music.

They recently produced their first CD taking top hits from the ‘70s and recording them with horns in the CHICAGO style. The result is a fresh approach to some of the greatest hits of that era. They have also just recently scored their show for full Symphony with luscious orchestral arrangements that are truly spellbinding.

Brass Transit will bring you back to the most memorable times of your life.

For 33 years Paul Shaffer served as David Letterman’s musical director and sidekick  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv8kfNRE5u4 .

Paul began his career in 1972 as musical director of the Toronto production of “Godspell.”  He played piano in “The Magic Show” on Broadway in 1974, then spent the next five years with the original “Saturday Night Live,” where he played keyboards, composed special musical material and, in 1980, became a featured performer.

In 1977, he took a brief break from the show to star in the CBS comedy series “A Year at the Top,” produced by Norman Lear and Don Kirshner.  After his return to “Saturday Night Live,” he collaborated with Gilda Radner on the songs for her Broadway show, in which he also appeared.  He served as musical director for the Blues Brothers – John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd – for their triple platinum album and national tour. His guest starring television appearances include “Ed”, “The Sopranos”, “Law & Order: Criminal Intent”, “Schitt’s Creek” and “How I Met Your Mother”. Paul starred with Bill Murray in and was musical director for the Netflix special “A Very Murray Christmas”, directed by Sofia Coppola, for which he received his fourth EMMY® nomination. He continues his erstwhile series of “mini-residencies” at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas , performing at the iconic Cleopatra’s Barge  https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/david-letterman-makes-surprise-appearance-at-paul-shaffers-vegas-show-1140778.  He recently performed with the Kalamazoo Symphony and the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, and has upcoming appearances with the Pittsburgh, Cincinatti, and Winnipeg symphonies. His new series of prime time radio specials, “Paul Shaffer + 1” is airing on on SiriusXM, and will be premiering this fall on AXS TV. Guests include Joe Walsh, Donald Fagen, Graham Nash, Buddy Guy, and Smokey Robinson.

In addition to recording his own albums, Coast to Coast (1989) and The World’s Most Dangerous Party (1993), Shaffer has recorded with such diverse artists as Diana Ross, Yoko Ono, and Robert Plant’s Honeydrippers.  He composed the LATE SHOW theme song and, with Paul Jabara, wrote the Number One global ’80s dance hit “It’s Raining Men,” performed by the Weather Girls and re-recorded by Geri Halliwell for the “Bridget Jones’s Diary” soundtrack, topping the British pop charts in 2001.  In 2002, he received his first GRAMMY®, Best Country Instrumental, for the Earl Scruggs and Friends album, and co-produced an avant-garde jazz album for his mentor, Tsziji Munoz. His latest album, Paul Shaffer & The World’s Most Dangerous Band, features such diverse guest vocalists as Valerie Simpson, Darius Rucker, Jenny Lewis, Dion, Shaggy, and Bill Murray: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSuB4Su6wCM  ,    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTeT9TkC1r8 .

His feature film roles include Artie Fufkin in Rob Reiner’s “This Is Spinal Tap.”  He also appeared in the Mike Nichols-directed “Gilda Live,” the Bill Murray movie “Scrooged,” and with John Travolta in “Look Who’s Talking Too.”  He is heard as the voice of Hermes in Disney’s animated feature “Hercules” and the television series based on the film.  He produced the gold-selling soundtrack for and appeared in “Blues Brothers 2000”, and composed original songs for the movie “Strangers with Candy.” He composed the theme songs for both David Letterman’s new Netflix series and Bill Murray’s new Facebook series, and is currently producing the music for Sofia Coppola’s latest film “On The Rocks” starring Bill Murray.

Shaffer has served as musical director and producer for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony since its inception in 1986.  He led the band for the “We Are the World” finale of Live Aid.  Shaffer hosted CBS’s 1994 New Year’s Eve special from New York’s Times Square and was musical director of the closing concert at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games.  He appeared with the Blues Brothers at the 1996 Super Bowl halftime show and was musical director of the 1999 Concert of the Century at the White House, featuring Eric Clapton, B. B. King, Gloria Estefan, ‘N Sync and others, to aid music programs in public schools.  He was Paul McCartney’s musical director for  “Concert for New York” and appeared with Faith Hill on the “America: A Tribute to Heroes” telethon, both of which honored and raised money for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

“Paul Shaffer’s This Day in Rock,” is a daily interstitial feature nationally syndicated by Envision Radio  http://www.paulshaffersdayinrock.com .  Paul’s best-selling memoir, We’ll Be Here For The Rest of Our Lives, is published by Random House https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LfYdZNghCk  . His new television series, “Paul Shaffer Plus One”, debuted in September on AXS-TV https://deadline.com/2019/06/paul-shaffer-plus-one-music-interview-show-premiere-date-axs-tv-1202635635/  — the extended radio version airs on SiriusXM. And he appeared as “Skeleton” on the current season of the Masked Singer the #1 TV show in the country.

Shaffer holds two honorary doctorate degrees, was inducted into the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame, and awarded a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.  In 2008, Paul received the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honor.  He lives in the New York area with his wife and two children.

Fox TV extended career overview: https://www.fox5vegas.com/video/paul-shaffer-reflects-on-his-music-career/video_47067fef-f024-56df-bc4c-73cb1454ffc4.html