BioRACHEL KITAGAWA SHAPIRO, born in Reading, Pennsylvania, first discovered the violin at age four. She has since performed in such venues as Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, and across North America, Europe, and Asia. As a founding member and second violinist of the critically acclaimed Aeolus Quartet, her musical collaborations include a performance onstage at the Metropolitan Opera alongside Renée Fleming, and appearances with Michael Tree, Jon Kimura Parker, the Juilliard Quartet, and the Miró Quartet. In the 17-18 season, Shapiro appears with A Far Cry and on faculty at the TCU Intensive String Quartet Workshop. Shapiro holds an Artist Diploma from the Juilliard School and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland. Minoring in English Literature, Shapiro is an avid writer and was recently published in Strings magazine.