Pianist Debuts Solo Album of Chabad Nigunim

Soul Whispers is the newly released piano solo collection of Chabad nigunim performed by Lubavitch pianist/composer Shoshana Michel.

The nigunim, which are purely piano solo, are played in a flowing New Age/Classical style. This long awaited album stirs the heart and touches the soul.

Classically trained, Shoshana started taking music lessons at the age of seven and was playing the piano professionally by the age of 17. It was when she became a ba’al teshuvah as an adult, that she was exposed to the beautiful melodies of Chabad nigunim.

But it wasn’t until Shoshana was invited to perform at a Rosh Chodesh Kislev women’s gathering that she sat down at the piano to put together and arrange nigunim to play for the event. “Playing nigunim felt natural and came easily to me. It was as if my soul was guiding my hands”, Shoshana recalls. Shoshana wasn’t prepared for the positive reaction that her playing aroused. “I don’t think that I really understood the power of nigunim until that time, nor did I realize the effect my playing could have on others.”

The positive responses of listeners, moved by her soulful renditions of Chabad nigunim, encouraged her to produce her debut album of piano solos, Soul Whispers. The nigunim chosen for this album include Anim Z’miros, Ki Hinei Kachomer, Shamil, Rostover Nigun, Ya’ale Tachanuneinu, V’Nislach, several Nigunim L’Shabbos V’Yom Tov and Ani Ma’amin.

Making the album was a labor of love. “When I play nigunim, my whole being goes into them. There is a connection between myself and the music. I tried to express what was in my heart and soul when I recorded the pieces” says Shoshana.

Shoshana feels that there is an innate healing nature of nigunim. “I wanted the CD to be calming and soothing. People have told me that they feel happier, calmer and more relaxed after listening to the nigunim.”

“… Shoshana Michel has arranged and performed a beautiful collection of twelve soothing Jewish melodies for solo piano. Elegantly and soulfully performed, the music is relaxing and spiritually uplifting. Shoshana Michel’s arrangements are full and rich, but they are not overly embellished or flashy, allowing the haunting melodies to stand on their own and speak their messages without a lot of fanfare. Her arrangements have a contemporary sound while honoring the deep and ancient traditions of the music. If you enjoy lovely spiritual solo piano music, I’m quite sure you’ll thoroughly love Soul Whispers.” ~ Kathy Parsons, Mainly Piano

Selections from Soul Whispers can be heard on online radio stations including Whisperings: Solo Piano RadioSoloPiano.com’s The StreamEnlightened Piano Radio and One World Music, as well as spotify, iHeartRadio, and Rhapsody. Jewish Educational Media has used selections from Soul Whispers as background for their documentaries.

Shoshana has also made a selection of her beautiful piano solo arrangements available in sheet music. V’Nislach, Ki Hinei Kachomer and Nigun L’Shabbos V’Yom Tov II are now available at http://shoshanamusic.com/store.

Soul Whispers is a beautiful collection of nigunim that will reach out to you and speak to your soul. It is now available in Judaica stores and online at http://mostlymusic.com/products/shoshana-michel-soul-whispers-solo-piano and www.ShoshanaMusic.com, iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

To buy sheet music or for more information, please visit https://www.ShoshanaMusic.com.

15 Comments

  • Rabbi Dr. Gershom Taub, PhD

    How are men permitted to hear a woman perform music? Does the Alter Rebbe’s prohibition against hearing a women’s voice include her playing music? There appears to be an incognisant logic here of which I would like clarification.

    • Son of a Shliach

      It’s because music comes from the lungs Sefira of Chesed (kindness) in the chest which al pi halakha a woman has to keep covered, but piano playing comes from the fingers (belonging to Asiya, the world of action) which even a married woman is allowed to expose, which is also why you’re allowed to eat food made by a lady.

    • Anonymous

      read the article
      “Soul Whispers is the newly released piano solo collection of Chabad nigunim performed by Lubavitch pianist/composer Shoshana Michel.”

      it is only piano playing no singing

    • Milhouse

      What are you talking about? What has the Alter Rebbe got to do with the price of fish? Where did you get the idea that the Alter Rebbe prohibited hearing a woman’s voice?

      And why on earth would you imagine the prohibition (which does exist but has nothing to do with the Alter Rebbe) includes music? Why would it? What part of קול באשה ערוה means music?

  • Very Chasidish

    Just listened to some cuts on Spotify. Nice new-Age feel . Pass me some of that Mogen David

  • Innocent Thoughts

    why cant people keep the niggunim they way they are instead of playing with them?!
    its very nice its just not the niggun anymore…
    would love for someone as professional as her to make an album of niggunim exactly as they are…
    (as well as lots of people dont know niggunim properly nowadays because of artists who manipulate the niggun)

  • to #1

    A piano is not a woman’s voice, therefore its not included.
    (Aruch Ha’shulchan 75:8, Bais Boruch 4:6:19:page 106, Ishei Yisroel 32:footnote 38. Refer to Me’am Loez B’shalach page 360 who says why Miriam used a musical instrument and not her voice by the shira)

    Beautiful CD!! Yasher Koach

  • beautiful

    to the first commenter – the only prohibition is against hearing a woman sing. there is nothing wrong with listening to a woman speak or play an instrument.

  • Shoshana B.

    Shoshana,

    So thrilled for you and wish you much continued success on this project. You play beautifully!

  • cnl

    To #7

    Did you ever hear what orchestras do to niggunim at weddings?!

    Her music is heavenly and she is doing justice to the music.

  • TransHeavened

    Oh yeah!

    The “orchestras” actually Beatle-ize the once heavenly niggunim. I would not call them orchestras –
    more like rock bands.