Lawrence Axelrod is a composer, pianist and conductor, whose musical activities have taken him around the United States and Europe. As a composer, Mr. Axelrod has had works done by Pinotage, The Lincoln Trio, The Duo Ahlert/Schwab, the Ensemble JungeMusik Berlin and The Verdi String Quartet in recent seasons. In the dual capacities of pianist and composer, he will present two concerts in South Africa in May 2008 - one in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town. He presented an all-Mazurka program at the University of Wisconsin/Madison in March 2008. A variation of this program was also done at Butler University (Indianapolis, IN) as a guest performer in November 2007 and as part of the Fazioli Salon Series on WFMT in April 2007, playing both classic and newly-written compositions in that form. He also opened the Swedish Electroacoustic Music Society’s conference with a recital in Stockholm in May 2007, repeating the program in Lahr, Germany a few days later. The Verdi String Quartet have been strong supporters of Mr. Axelrod’s music, premiering his Diary Pieces, Anges et Déesses (with Ingeborg Danz, mezzo-soprano), and String Quartet No. 1, the last for the opening concert of the Vielsaitig Festival in Füssen, Germany in August, 2004. His music was also presented on a portrait concert featuring four works as part of this festival. His compositions have been performed on composers’ festival concerts around the United States. He was invited to perform a piano recital as part of the Eighth International Festival of Electroacoustic Music held in Havana, Cuba in March 2000, and returned there in March 2004 to give a second recital. His work for orchestra and tape, Cassandra Speaks, was premiered by the San Jose Symphony (CA) in June of 1999 with music director Leonid Grin conducting. This work was previously recorded by the Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Szymon Kawalla conducting. Still Life with Sea and Whales, a work for soprano, flute and two guitars has been released on the CRS label. A CD of solo and small chamber works was released in the Fall of 2003.
Mr. Axelrod has received grants from Chorus America, Meet the Composer and Arts International for the performances of his works.
Mr. Axelrod was also a founder and past chairperson of the Chicago Composers’ Consortium, as well as a member of CUBE. He has attended numerous composition residencies around the United States and in Europe. He has taught a highly successful opera appreciation class at Ghost Ranch Santa Fe each summer for nearly ten years. His teaching experience also includes classes for young people. Lawrence Axelrod received his undergraduate degree from Amherst College and a Master of Music Degree in orchestral conducting from Northwestern University.