A Musical Remembrance: Cantor Ephraim and Paula Biran
Saturday, January 6, 2024 • 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Memorial concert 4:00 – 5:00 PM, reception to follow.
Congregation Rodeph Sholom invites you to a special concert in memory of our beloved Cantor Emeritus, Ephraim Biran, and his wife, Paula, conceived by their children Jonathan, Raphael, and Alisa.
Ephraim and Paula Biran came to singing and choral music by different paths — Ephraim as a child in his synagogue choir, and Paula by way of a good friend inviting her to a college choir rehearsal. As Ephraim developed his voice as a soloist and Paula developed her skills as a choral conductor, their musical lives overlapped in meaningful ways, including at Rodeph Sholom — where Ephraim trained b’nai mitzvot and built the children’s choir, and Paula directed the adult community chorus — often collaborating together for concerts, services, and recordings.
This program will pay tribute to several areas of Paula and Ephraim’s love for music and for each other. Featuring cantorial solos, art song, a cappella choral repertoire, and works from oratorio, the program will also highlight the music of Simon Sargon, including selections from his Azkara: A Jewish “Requiem” — dedicated to Ephraim’s memory — alongside works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Bloch, and others. Each piece has meaning to Ephraim and Paula’s musical history, and to the Biran family, and will be beautifully performed by Cantor Shayna De Lowe and Cantor Stefano Iacono, special guest soloists, and a professional choir and orchestra.
Memorial concert 4:00 – 5:00 PM, reception to follow.
Congregation Rodeph Sholom invites you to a special concert in memory of our beloved Cantor Emeritus, Ephraim Biran, and his wife, Paula, conceived by their children Jonathan, Raphael, and Alisa.
Ephraim and Paula Biran came to singing and choral music by different paths — Ephraim as a child in his synagogue choir, and Paula by way of a good friend inviting her to a college choir rehearsal. As Ephraim developed his voice as a soloist and Paula developed her skills as a choral conductor, their musical lives overlapped in meaningful ways, including at Rodeph Sholom — where Ephraim trained b’nai mitzvot and built the children’s choir, and Paula directed the adult community chorus — often collaborating together for concerts, services, and recordings.
This program will pay tribute to several areas of Paula and Ephraim’s love for music and for each other. Featuring cantorial solos, art song, a cappella choral repertoire, and works from oratorio, the program will also highlight the music of Simon Sargon, including selections from his Azkara: A Jewish “Requiem” — dedicated to Ephraim’s memory — alongside works by Mendelssohn, Brahms, Bloch, and others. Each piece has meaning to Ephraim and Paula’s musical history, and to the Biran family, and will be beautifully performed by Cantor Shayna De Lowe and Cantor Stefano Iacono, special guest soloists, and a professional choir and orchestra.
