Andrew Shapiro

Andrew Shapiro is an American composer and songwriter. He has characterized his music as having been primarily influenced by "80's new wave pop and Philip Glass minimalism."[1]

From 2004 to 2013 Shapiro regularly performed his solo piano compositions and improvisations at a McDonald's fast-food restaurant in downtown Manhattan for which he was profiled in The New York Times.[2] He was described as the “Best Pianist in a Fast-Food Restaurant” in the Village Voice.[3] Performance highlights include The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC,[4] the Exit Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia, TED, Bard College, Joe's Pub, Gracie Mansion, Bargemusic and the Wordless Music series at Le Poisson Rouge, New York.[5]

Shapiro's music has been played on the radio worldwide and his music has been mentioned in The New Yorker, ABC News, CNN, Gramophone and Daily Candy.[3] His most popular piece, the solo piano track Mint Green, has been played over eight million times on Pandora Radio.[6]

His synth-pop debut album, Invisible Days EP, was chosen as one of the "Top 12" independently produced recordings of 2003 by Performing Songwriter magazine.[3] Shapiro's three solo piano albums, Numbers, Colors and People (2009), Intimate Casual (2012) and Piano 3 (2016) were created with the help of Philip Glass producer Michael Riesman.

Pink Jean Mint Green, a synth-pop album featuring a collaboration with author Neil Gaiman, was released in 2016.[7]

He has written original music for film and theater projects, and his pieces have been licensed for use in television projects worldwide, ranging from reality TV to a Clio Award-winning spot for cancer awareness.[6]

Shapiro's music is published by Airbox Music (ASCAP), a label he founded in 2002.[8]

Shapiro is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio where he studied musical composition.[9] Raised in Larchmont, New York, he lives in with his wife and son in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City.[1]