High Holy Days, Yom Kippur, Sim Shalom by Mary Feinsinger

Biography of Mary Feinsinger

MARY FEINSINGER has been conductor/arranger for the Broadway Chorus at the 92nd Street Y in New York, and has music directed at Stagedoor Manor, the 45th Street Theatre, The Irish Repertory Theatre, Theatreworks U.S.A and at the Adirondacks Depot Theatre. She frequently appears as music director/pianist at cabarets in New York such as Dont Tell Mamas.

A composer/lyricist in the BMI Lehman Engel Advanced Musical Theatre Workshop, her musical Understood Betsy (written with Stacey Luftig), winner of the 12th Annual National Childrens Theatre Festival, was presented in spring, 2007, at the Actors Playhouse in Coral Gables, Florida, and will be the inaugural preproduction at the Mack Performing Arts Center in Arlington, Vermont, in the fall.

As co-founder, vocalist, and keyboard artist of the West End Klezmorim, she performed at Carnegie Hall, The White House, Lincoln Center, Symphony Space, and St. Peter's Jazz Church. Garrison Keillor on the Prairie Home Companion praised her "unique talent", The New York Times called her "the world's greatest Yiddish scat singer. She co-wrote (music and lyrics) and performed in the off-Broadway revue Hot Klezmer, and composed the score for the feature film The Apology.

She is well known as a composer/arranger of Jewish music. For Transcontinental Music Company, she produced, arranged, and music directed Kol Dodi—the definitive collection of music for the Jewish wedding ceremony, arranged and produced the recording Songs from a Passover Haggadah, and was an editor and music director for Shirei T'shuvah - Songs of Repentance.

She has won many awards for her compositions—including the first Out-of-the-Bachs competition for choral music held in Fort Worth, the Diana Barnhart American Song Competition (twice), and the Shalshelet Competition in Washington, D.C. She received a 2006 Composition Grant from The Childrens Aid Society Chorus, and a 2008 ASCAP Plus Award. Born in New York City, she is a graduate of Barnard College, and has a Masters Degree in voice from The Juilliard School. A member of the Extension Division voice faculty at the Mannes College of Music in New York, she was for many years on the piano-accompanying staff at Juilliard.

On the board of directors of the American Society for Jewish Music, she serves as cantor for the Rossmoor Jewish Congregation near Princeton.

A member of NATS and NYSTA, she maintains an active private studio in New York for vocal instruction, vocal coaching, and piano.

***** What the official bio does not mention, is that she attended Francis Lewis High School in NYC at the same time as I did. She was two years ahead of me, and I knew that she would somehow have a career in music. She had the most beautiful voice I had heard. It doesn't surprise me to know of all her musical accomplishments.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• High Holy Days
• Yom Kippur
• Sim Shalom

[Shanniquitie]

a female cantor? huh?

[cantorandopera]

@Shanniquitie As you will see from many of my postings I am a Cantorial Soloist - there have been female cantors who are ordained in the Reform Movement and I believe as well as the Conservative Movement. This has been going on for probably more than 30 years. In the Reform Movement we have equality for men and women performing mitzvahs (commandments) so we also have female Rabbis.

[Shanniquitie]

@cantorandopera hmmm. well, let me say that your voice is very beautiful. however, i dont think this would be acceptable at any shul i know.

[Kievest]

Pure, Beautiful, Reverent, Eloquent

singing!!! Thank you!

[CurzonRoad]

Dear Rowna: Most lovely.... Thank You! Doug --

[laonirica]

Cara Rowna as always carries us with her Beautiful Voice, a beautiful serenity!!! Thank you!!! for sharing this moment of such depth and beauty in the message and in the form!!!

5mille*********************

[Herur22]

Thank you for the song and for the presentation of Mary Feinsinger.

[halavey]

Very moving and fresh comes to mind. Thanks for this post.

[meltzerboy]

Thank you, Rowna, for sharing this beautiful and moving performance in a wonderful arrangement. A Good Year to all!

[rakkav]

I find myself wishing that with the vocal style you demonstrate here, you'd perform Suzanne Haik-Vantoura's arrangement of Isaiah 60:1-5, either wherever your liturgy allows it or in concert. The simple harp part would work well with the organ, and it and you together with the melody would send chills up the spine of those who heard it.

If you haven't seen my video based on SHV's recording of this text, you'll find it on "teamim", and maybe on "rakkav" too. I can e-mail you the score!