Available for the first time on Champs Hill Records, violinist Ittai Shapira’s 1999 release was recorded in the Music Room at Champs Hill and initially released on the Quartz label. Bringing together sonatas by Delius, Ravel, and Franck, Shapira was fascinated to explore what ‘French’ sound really meant to him, along with pianist Jeremy Denk. Shapira says “While heavily associated as part of the French repertoire, each piece has its own distinct sound while integrating influences and reaching to other cultures: Blues, Gamelan, and British. A distinct sound that stays in one’s memory while bridging cultures is what I aim for to this day, 17 years after recording these works, both as performer and composer.”Ittai Shapira is both a violinist and a composer. Described by the NY Times as “an Israeli dynamo with a flourishing solo violin career” he has performed widely with international orchestras. He has recently premiered and recorded his Concerto for Violin and Cello, “Sephardic Journeys,” coupled with his Violin and Clarinet Concerto, a multidisciplinary project in close collaboration with Sir Salman Rushdie and visual artist, Alexander Klingspor.