The daughter of Russian-Israeli immigrants, Sandra Shapiro began her piano studies at the age of three and a half, and by age 11, was performing in recitals and as a soloist with orchestras. Because of her prodigious talent, Ms. Shapiro left home at age 15 to study at the Juilliard School upon the recommendation of her mentor, Gina Bachauer. Her teacher's and greatest musical influences include Leon Fleisher, John Perry, Nadia Reisenberg, and Guido Agosti.

 As a member of the renowned duo-piano team of Hecht & Shapiro, Ms. Shapiro's laureates include winning the Munich International Duo Piano Competition, the Ellis National Duo Piano Competition, and top prizes in the Dranoff International Two Piano Competition, and the International Jeunesses Musicales Competition. Ms. Shapiro's performances have taken her throughout most major cities in the United States and Europe. She has been featured in radio and television productions for RIAS Berlin; Sudwestfunk Radio Production, PBS; WQXR, NPR McGrawHill Young Artist Showcase, Australian Broadcasting Commission and NPR.

 As a soloist, orchestral appearances include the Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Baltimore Symphony, Chicago Civic Orchestra, Stuttgart Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Belgrade String Orchestra, Brevard Festival Orchestra, Florida Symphony, San Angelo Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Everett Symphony, New Mexico Symphony, as well as Cleveland Orchestra appearances at both Severance Hall and the Blossom Music Festival.

 The laureate of many National and International Competitions, awards and prizes include First Prizes in the Young Musician's Foundation National Debut Competition, and The World Piano Competition, as well as a laureate in the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition. Other recognitions include the “Outstanding Chamber Musician Award” from the University of Southern California, and the “Young Maestro Award” from the Peabody Institute of Music.

 Her great love for chamber music has led to collaborations with Truls Mork, Peter Rejto, Stanley Drucker, Mats Lidstrom, Franklin Cohen, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson, Joan Kwuon, and members of the New York Philharmonic on the New York Philharmonic’s Chamber Music Series. Recordings include "Sentimiento" on the Azica label, as well as a collaboration with the principal wind players of the New York Philharmonic in an album entitled "The Complete Music of Robert Schumann for Winds and Piano.”

 Ms. Shapiro is a member of the Piano and Chamber Music faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Visiting Chamber Music Teaching Artist at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and an alumni teaching artist for The Juilliard-Nord Anglia Global Partnership Program.

 Ms. Shapiro is a Steinway Artist.