Echoes and Shadows, conducted by Mark Shapiro, is Cantori New York's debut CD. It has enjoyed extraordinary success. Just two months after its release in 1997, Echoes and Shadows reached the top-ten classical best-seller list of "the world's largest record store" (near Lincoln Center), amid recordings by such artists as Cecilia Bartoli, Renee Fleming, and Yo-Yo Ma. The recording features twentieth-century music on Romantic themes: Tom Cipullo's The Shadows Around the House, with text by Jaime Manrique; Chris DeBlasio's The Best-Beloved; and James D. Wagoner's Song of Solomon (with solos by Katherine Harris and Nathaniel Watson). The first and last of these are Cantori commissions. All three works are written for chorus accompanied by a string quartet plus one other instrument: percussion or harp. The recording has garnered critical praise in the classical music press: Fanfare: "An auspicious first recording...engaging, beguiling music [that] makes august programming sense. A wonderful hour of listening!" American Record Guide: "A nice program...everything is well-performed...good stuff!" Cantori New York (previously known as I Cantori di New York) is a 40-voice chamber choir that has built a strong reputation for artistic excellence and innovative programming. It has been hailed by The New York Times for its "spirit of exploration" as "one of the most finely blended chamber choirs in New York," and praised for its "flexibility in dynamics and coloration" and "gorgeously regulated tone." The group is a two-time winner of the ASCAP/Chorus America Award for Adventurous Programming. In addition to its annual concert series in New York City, Cantori New York has appeared in concert at Wall Street's Trinity Church, the World Financial Center, Great Performers at Lincoln Center, with the Teatro Grattacielo opera company at Alice Tully Hall and under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas as part of Zankel Hall's opening season. Artistic Director Mark Shapiro has led Cantori New York since 1991, and his unique vision has ensured Cantori's place as one of New York's finest vocal ensembles. He is noted for his virtuosity in offering vivid, striking interpretations in all musical styles. Dr. Shapiro also conducts the Monmouth Civic Chorus in New Jersey, and is active in the realm of opera and musical theatre. He holds academic credentials in orchestral and choral conducting, and teaches at Mannes College and the European American Musical Alliance in France.