Pamela Schiffer has served as Cantor with Congregation Shaarey Zedek since 1999.

Originially from Cleveland, Ohio, she began her Cantorial studies with Cantor William Sharlin at Hebrew Union College in Los Angeles. She also mentored there with Cantor Samuel Kelemer.

She has served at Congregation Beth Shalom (Santa Monica, CA), Baltimore Hebrew Congregation (Baltimore, MD), and for thirteen years at Temple Beth Israel in York, Pennsylvania.

She is a CICA member of the Cantors Assembly (Cantorial Intern of the Cantors Assembly). Her mentors for this program are Cantors Chaim Najman, Sholom Kalib, and Earl Berris.

After concluding a series or written and oral exams in the spring of 2009, she will become a full member of the organization. She is incoming secretary of the Great Lakes and Rivers Region of the Cantors Assembly.

Cantor Schiffer is also active as a soloist and recitalist in both contemporary and traditional repertoire. She has performed throughout the United States, Canada and Europe on such series as the Monday Evening Concerts in Los Angeles, the New Music Circle in St. Louis, the York Symphony (PA), the Old First Concert Series in San Francisco, and the International Computer Music Conference in Glasgow Scotland.

She was an artist member and Director of Programming for the Contemporary Music Forum in Washington D.C. for over twenty years. She has premiered over forty new works and has received a Solo Recitalists Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Her recordings are available on the CRI, Centaur, Capstone, and McGill University labels. Her recording of “Imaginary Creatures” by Detroit’s James Hartway is a recent Naxos release.

A graduate of Indiana University and Towson University, Ms. Schiffer moved to the Detroit area from Baltimore, Maryland where she was on the music faculty of Loyola College and Towson University, and Artistic Director of the Women Composers Orchestra.

Performances in Michigan include concerts for the Plymouth Community Arts Council, on the Ferndale Concert Series, at Wayne State University, on the Chamber Music at the Scarab Club series, with the Great Lakes Lyric Opera of Detroit, for the Brunch with Bach series at the Detroit Institute of Art, and Concerts in the Barn at Applewood (Tobermory, Ontario).

She is married to Dr. Charles Schiffer and proud grandmother of Kenzo and Kaito Schiffer, who live with their parents Josh and Chihana Schiffer in Seattle. Hobbes and Holly, favored cats at home, round out the family.

Cantor Schiffer may be reached at (517) 351-3570 or at cantor@shaareyzedek.com.