American Tapestry

Label: Pacific Symphony (PDR01)
Released: February 13, 2026

Orli Shaham, piano
Richard Cassarino, bass; Meredith Crawford, viola; Tony Ellis, trumpet; Warren Hagerty, cello; Dennis Kim, violin; Joshua Ranz, clarinet; and Benjamin Smolen, flute

Orli Shaham has been the curator, host, and pianist of Pacific Symphony’s Cafe Ludwig chamber music series for nearly two decades. "American Tapestry" is the product of her long relationship with the musicians of the symphony, which is based in Southern California.

The album demonstrates the diversity of concert music by living composers in the United States – a virtual portrait of America. The collection features music by leading American composers: Margaret Brouwer, Jessie Montgomery, Sarah Kirkland Snider, Avner Dorman, Viet Cuong, Reena Esmail, Peter Dayton, and Ari Barack Fisher. The works by Dorman and Brouwer were commissioned by Pacific Symphony and are world premiere recordings.

The album fulfills a long-standing dream of Orli Shaham. “I have been privileged to play with the brilliant musicians of Pacific Symphony for eighteen years now," says the pianist. "In that time, we have grown together as we’ve vanquished difficult repertoire in the rehearsal room, luxuriated in our sound on the Samueli stage, and shared Din Tai Fung between rehearsals. We trust and rely on each other’s musicianship. For years, I have wanted to create a recording that documents these extraordinary musical connections, and I am thrilled that we now have this album to share with the world.”