PAUL SHAW–Jamaican Virtuoso
PAUL SHAW–Private & Public Performances–Classical & Caribbean Repertoire
Hailed by the New York Times as “both a virtuoso with herculean technical command and a sensitive introspective artist,” Jamaican pianist Paul Shaw has appeared in recital and chamber music performances and as a soloist with orchestras on three continents, inspiring appreciative audiences and music critics alike in Asia, Europe and the Americas.
Critically-Acclaimed Top Prize Winner in International Competitions
A top prize-winner in the 1988 William Kapell International Piano Competition and the Young Concert Artists International Auditions, he has performed to high critical acclaim at prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York; the Kennedy Center, Hall of the Americas in Washington, D.C.; Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Germany; and the Marlboro Music Festival.
At age 16, Winner of Jamaica's Highest Classical Music Award
Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, Shaw’s interest in music began with a toy piano his mother purchased at Woolworth’s to teach him everything she had memorized through secret observations of her guardian, a Kingston piano teacher. By the age of eight, he was sight reading hymns for church services, and at sixteen, he won the Howard Cooke Award for Excellence in Music, Jamaica’s highest classical music award in the annual Festival of the Arts competition.
Advanced Studies at The Juilliard School
Subsequent advanced studies, courtesy of the Jamaican and French Governments, and William Petschek, Maro Ajemian, and Isabel Mason Scholarships, led to a ten-year affiliation with noted American pianist William Masselos and three degrees from Juilliard - Bachelor of Music, the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts.
Performances & Recital Tours–United States, Taiwan, Costa Rica, China, Malta
He has appeared as soloist with the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Rochester Philharmonic, Dayton Philharmonic, Richmond Symphony, Shreveport Symphony, Cape Cod Symphony and Minnesota orchestras and collaborated with conductors Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, William Eddins, George Manahan, Jorge Mester, Lukas Foss, and others. Paul has completed two successful recital tours of Taiwan and made his second visit to Central America in August 2003, appearing in a series of recitals at the Thirteenth Costa Rica Festival Internacional de Música. In December 2004 and 2007, he was featured in Teatru Unplugged, an annual event held at the historic Manoel Theatre in Valletta, Malta, showcasing international artists performing in a variety of musical genres. Shaw’s performances led the Times of Malta to describe him as "a concert pianist of towering talent." In September 2010, Shaw became the first artist from the Caribbean to appear in recital at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, China.
Caribbean Heritage & Music
As a leading exponent of the piano music of the Caribbean, Shaw is currently engaged in an exploration of his musical heritage. His CD titled "Le Grand Tour–Paul Shaw Plays Caribbean Art Music" includes compositions by Ernesto Lecuona, Oswald Russell, Cleophas R.E. Adderley, Ludovic Lamothe and Paulette Bellamy. Paul has done extensive research on Caribbean music and has travelled to several of the Caribbean Islands as part of a research project.