Concert: David & Shira! with Gary Lawrence, Jerry Shaw and Eddie Shraybman

Session: The art of the cantor

David Presler

“David & Shira” inspire audiences with their elegance, warmth, grace and energy! Their voices are stellar and sparkle in repertoire including opera, Broadway, and popular. David and Shira have performed over 60 concerts over the past two seasons… “From the blend of their voices to their variety to their personalities, they touch our hearts”.

David M. Presler shines as a (Hazzan) cantor, composer, entertainer, recording artist and voice teacher. His personality and stage presence sparkle in the repertoire from classic Broadway to opera to the synagogue. David started out singing in shul choirs with Leon Berger Choirs in Brooklyn until his voice changed at the age of 12 … and boy did it change! David developed a rich bass baritone with a high extension. An art song enthusiast, he has performed four great song cycles: Shubert’s Die Winterreise and Schumann’s Dichterliebe, as well as Don Quichotte by Ravel and Ibert. Audiences love his rich, baritone voice which is reminiscent of Ezio Pinza when he sings “Some Enchanted Evening”. His operatic roles include Shaunard in La Boheme, Figaro in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, Leporello in Don Giovanni, Escamillo in Bizet’s Carmen, and the father in Hansel and Gretel. David earned two degrees (B.A., M.S.) in Music Education at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. He is a Doctoral Candidate in Jewish Education and Administration at Yeshiva University. Cantor David Presler has served congregations for 30 years. He is a published composer of liturgical music with his Sim Shalom (Transcontinental, 2005), along with 100’s of unpublished settings. David is a voice teacher, Bar and Bat Mitzvah instructor as well as entertainer. Please visit his website.

Shira Flam started her theatrical education in The Professional Children's School. She performed at the age of seven in the "Supreme Commander" to critical acclaim in the Village Voice. She sang in the children's chorus of the Metropolitan Opera and also made children's records for Tritone Records. While at The Professional Children's School, She performed at the Actor's Studio in "The Reckonings". Later, she played Luisa in "The Fantasticks!" at Crum Pond. While attending Hunter college she was cast in a couple of films, with Elisabeth Shue and Sarah Jessica Parker. She then studied acting at the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. Shira was introduced to the Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre in NYC, where she performed leading roles alongside legendary actors and actresses such as Mina Bern. She performed a two woman show with her mother, principal singer of the Metropolitan Opera, Atarah Hazzan. She was cast as the lead in the National Tour of “The Velveteen Rabbit”, which played prestigious theaters including the three-thousand seat Pantages in L.A. She then completed a two year acting course with the famed Wiliam Esper. She went on to sing leading roles with the N.Y. Grand Opera, in “Pirates of Penzance” and “Tales of Hoffman”. She did concerts and played leads for five years with The Opera of the Hamptons, including “Fledermaus”, “H&G” & “Don Pasquale” More recently she filmed "Life in Flight" with Tribecca Films. Shira has had an extensive concert career, headlining in such places as the NYC Hilton for the Zukunft Yiddish Literary magazine, and was featured in concert "Yiddish Divas in the Parks" on programs with Tovah Feldshuh and Claire Barry. Shira is available for bookings in her one-woman show: "Fanny, Molly, Barbra & Me!". And tonight she is happy to be appearing here with her husband after just completing joint concert tours of Century Village.

Gary Lawrence

Gary Lawrence has been a professional pianist and arranger for over forty years. A graduate of Brooklyn College, Lawrence is a veteran of the famous Catskills "Borscht Belt," having worked at many resorts, including Brown's Hotel and Grossingers. After many years of playing private parties in the New York area, he formed a Roaring 20s Big Band, The Sizzling Syncopators, which has appeared on national TV and has recorded for several labels, including CBS Masterworks. Since relocating to Florida in 1978, Lawrence has been the leader of two radio orchestras — The WFTL Orchestra and The WLQY "Music of Your Life" Orchestra — and has ran his own successful booking agency, Tops in Music and Entertainment. As a pianist/conductor, Lawrence has performed with such well-known performers as Allan Jones, Mel Torme, Cab Calloway, Steve Allen, Claire Barry, Mickey Katz, Don Cornell, Tiny Tim, Howard Keel and Shirley Bassey. He has also toured with the internationally renowned Klezmer ensemble, The Epstein Brothers Orchestra, and appears in their award-winning film, "A Tickle in the Heart." He was also the musical director for the Manhattan Dinner Theater`s production of “Picon Pie,” the musical biography of Yiddish Theatre great, Molly Picon and "The Kid from Brooklyn," a bio of Danny Kaye. Currently, Gary Lawrence and Jan Kroupa are performing throughout Florida with The Songs of the Sunshine State, a musical salute to Florida. Lawrence is also traveling internationally with The Classic Jazz Quartet, a unique and informative presentation of jazz and pop songs, derived from classical masterworks. In addition, Lawrence performs a one man show featuring the music of the '20s — Hello Central Give Me Doctor Jazz! Gary Lawrence just completed a 7-month engagement as musical director on the Holland America Statendam. He is currently working on a new Internet radio show "Chopin, Tchaikovsky … And All That Jazz!”