Conductor, composer, and mezzo-soprano SARAH SHAPIRO is currently pursuing a Master of Music in choral conducting at the Yale School of Music with Jeffrey Douma, David Hill, and Felicia Barber. Hailing from New York City and Chicago, she was brought up in an Episcopal church choir through the Royal School of Church Music program for thirteen years. She later attended St. Olaf College, from which she holds a Bachelor of Music in Education. Shapiro has also worked with conductors Simon Carrington, Kenneth Kiesler, Markand Thakar, Masaaki Suzuki, Donald Nally, Anton Armstrong, Marcus Creed, Kent Tritle, Craig Hella Johnson, Allen Hightower, Timothy Mahr, and Geoffrey Boers. Shapiro has participated as a singer and conductor at music programs such as Aspen Music Festival, Sarteano Chamber Choral Conducting Workshop, the Conductors Retreat at Medomak, Cascade Choral Conducting Masterclass, Conducting Programs International, and Amherst Early Music Festival. She has also been named a national finalist for the American Prize in Choral Composition for four of her pieces. Most recently, she has been selected to participate in the American Choral Directors Association Eastern division graduate conducting masterclass. Shapiro is particularly interested in symphonic repertoire of the Romantic period, as well as cantatas of the Baroque period.