Daniel Shapiro

Daniel Shapiro does not hesitate to name Mozart as "the most difficult composer there is--because there's not much to hide behind in his music. "There is so much subtlety and inflection, and so many of the moods can be almost double-edged. To pinpoint the right character and atmosphere in Mozart, and to convey it, is very difficult." The pianist will be trying to do just that on Saturday: He'll be the soloist when the Mozart Camerata plays Mozart's Concerto No. 24 at St.

President Obama is nominating a top foreign policy aide, Daniel B. Shapiro, as ambassador to Israel ? tapping for the sensitive diplomatic post a Hebrew-speaking Middle East specialist who has been in charge of outreach to the American Jewish community. If he wins Senate confirmation, Shapiro, whose nomination was announced Wednesday, will replace James Cunningham, a George W. Bush appointee who will be rotating out of the job later this year. Shapiro, 41, who is the National Security Council's top Mideast expert, would lead the embassy at a difficult time in U.S.-Israeli relations.

Pianist Daniel Shapiro is decidedly vocal with his ideas about Mozart. "In certain schools of performance practice, Mozart tends to be played according to a certain set of dictums . . . that come between performer and composer," said Shapiro, the soloist in the "Happy Birthday, Mozart" concerts with the Mozart Camerata today in Irvine and Sunday in Newport Beach. He'll play the composer's Concerto No. 22 in E-flat.

In this interview ("Roiling Over Beethoven," May 16) as well as others I've heard with John Eliot Gardiner, most or all of the talk is of the boldness, violence, revolutionary qualities and incisive edges in Beethoven's music that allegedly come alive when modern instruments are replaced with period instruments. The problem is that all of these attributes are not the essential ones. The chief attributes of Beethoven--the true reasons for his greatness as well as his relevance for people in all eras--are his humanity and love.

In the Finals: Los Angeles pianist Daniel Shapiro is one of three finalists in the prestigious International William Kapell Piano Competition now under way at the University of Maryland. Shapiro, 29, competed in the first part of the final phase Thursday. On Saturday, Shapiro, along with 24-year-old Hie-Yon Choi of Korea and 21-year-old Anthony Hewitt of Britain, will play the final round of the competition.

In this interview ("Roiling Over Beethoven," May 16) as well as others I've heard with John Eliot Gardiner, most or all of the talk is of the boldness, violence, revolutionary qualities and incisive edges in Beethoven's music that allegedly come alive when modern instruments are replaced with period instruments. The problem is that all of these attributes are not the essential ones. The chief attributes of Beethoven--the true reasons for his greatness as well as his relevance for people in all eras--are his humanity and love.

Seriousness, not too common a quality in current piano playing, was perhaps the most conspicuous characteristic of Daniel Shapiro's playing at his Gold Medal series recital at Ambassador Auditorium Monday night. Shapiro might be a bit too casual now and then in his pursuit of exactness and precision, but his aim is always high. His preoccupation with neatness and orderliness, however, does not excessively overburden him. In short, he takes technical proficiency in stride.

President Obama is nominating a top foreign policy aide, Daniel B. Shapiro, as ambassador to Israel ? tapping for the sensitive diplomatic post a Hebrew-speaking Middle East specialist who has been in charge of outreach to the American Jewish community. If he wins Senate confirmation, Shapiro, whose nomination was announced Wednesday, will replace James Cunningham, a George W. Bush appointee who will be rotating out of the job later this year. Shapiro, 41, who is the National Security Council's top Mideast expert, would lead the embassy at a difficult time in U.S.-Israeli relations.

An attorney for entertainment conglomerate MCA has disclosed that the company was behind a series of mysterious leaflets that attacked a multimillion-dollar development proposed for Burbank by MCA's rival, the Walt Disney Co. The attorney, Daniel Shapiro, said Wednesday that four professionally designed mailers sent to registered Burbank voters during the last two weeks were initiated and financed by MCA.

Now in its 11th season, the Mozart Camerata, a chamber-sized orchestra based in Orange County, continues to observe the birth month of its namesake with a Mozart program. This year's included the First and 36th Symphonies, and the Piano Concerto No. 15.

Pianist Daniel Shapiro is decidedly vocal with his ideas about Mozart. "In certain schools of performance practice, Mozart tends to be played according to a certain set of dictums . . . that come between performer and composer," said Shapiro, the soloist in the "Happy Birthday, Mozart" concerts with the Mozart Camerata today in Irvine and Sunday in Newport Beach. He'll play the composer's Concerto No. 22 in E-flat.

Daniel Shapiro does not hesitate to name Mozart as "the most difficult composer there is--because there's not much to hide behind in his music. "There is so much subtlety and inflection, and so many of the moods can be almost double-edged. To pinpoint the right character and atmosphere in Mozart, and to convey it, is very difficult." The pianist will be trying to do just that on Saturday: He'll be the soloist when the Mozart Camerata plays Mozart's Concerto No. 24 at St.

In the Finals: Los Angeles pianist Daniel Shapiro is one of three finalists in the prestigious International William Kapell Piano Competition now under way at the University of Maryland. Shapiro, 29, competed in the first part of the final phase Thursday. On Saturday, Shapiro, along with 24-year-old Hie-Yon Choi of Korea and 21-year-old Anthony Hewitt of Britain, will play the final round of the competition.

Seriousness, not too common a quality in current piano playing, was perhaps the most conspicuous characteristic of Daniel Shapiro's playing at his Gold Medal series recital at Ambassador Auditorium Monday night. Shapiro might be a bit too casual now and then in his pursuit of exactness and precision, but his aim is always high. His preoccupation with neatness and orderliness, however, does not excessively overburden him. In short, he takes technical proficiency in stride.

Three levels of emotionalism--feelings on the surface, feelings overwrought and feelings transcended--measured the progress of the latest L.A. Philharmonic Chamber Music Society program, Monday night at Gindi Auditorium. As the levels rose, so did the young performers' achievements.

The Community Associations Institute will present its annual educational conference and trade show on Oct. 14 at the Holiday Inn Crown Plaza, 5985 W. Century Blvd., Los Angeles. The all-day event, starting with registration at 9:30 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m., will offer three concurrent sessions covering management, accounting, legal and maintenance issues of interest to condominium owners and members of homeowners' associations.