Shorstein Siblings release Fairy Tales song cycle

Siblings Jennifer Shorstein and Benjamin Shorstein have released the world premiere recording of their song cycle, Fairy Tales. Fairy Tales is inspired by moments from The Shorstein Siblings favorite fairy tales.

Words by Jennifer Shorstein

Music by Benjamin Shorstein

Performed by Rebecca Shorstein, Monica Pasquini, Jennifer Anderson, Jake McKenna, and the Bold City Contemporary Ensemble

The Shorstein siblings have been crafting songs together for years, with Jennifer writing the words and Benjamin the music. This recording is the culmination of years of collaborative tinkering. In 2012, early versions of songs from Fairy Tales were workshopped and performed at the New York Musical Theatre Festival. The instrumentation is soprano and tenor voices, piano, violin, cello, percussion, and clarinet.

Four vocalists (including another Shorstein sibling, Rebecca) perform the piece with instrumentalists from the Bold City Contemporary Ensemble. Sopranos Rebecca Shorstein and Monica Pasquini, known to millions for their stunning duet rendition of Mozart’s Queen of the Night aria, bring an operatic palette to the recording, while tenor Jake McKenna and soprano Jennifer Anderson carry their musical theatre experience front and center with their expressive and dynamic voices. Members of the Bold City Contemporary Ensemble have performed under the direction of Leonard Bernstein, Michael Tilson Thomas, Riccardo Muti and Courtney Lewis.