Laurence Sherr is recognized for his uniquely interconnected work on music related to the Holocaust, uniting his activities as composer of remembrance music, researcher, lecturer, producer of remembrance events, author, and educator. He has presented this work on five continents. Displaying “lamenting and profound beauty,” “mastery of counterpoint” and delivering a “powerful impact” (Fanfare), Sherr’s album – Fugitive Footsteps: Remembrance Music – was awarded a Global Music Awards Gold Medal (Album Composer, Album Concept). Sherr’s Music of Resistance and Survival Project features his cello sonata, Holocaust songs of resistance and survival woven into his sonata, his presentation about the source songs, student educational performances, and pedagogical resources. His chapter on the genesis and impact of this project – “Music of Resistance and Survival: Composition, Performances, and Education for Understanding and Healing” – appears in the 2025 publication Stories of the Holocaust: Art for Healing and Renewal. Another chapter, on his research on music in the Auschwitz camp, is slated for an upcoming publication. Through all this work, his purpose is to provide remembrance and healing, and to foster greater understanding, mutual respect, and tolerance.
Dr. Sherr’s compositions appear on European and American albums. Among his fellowships are those from the MacDowell Colony, American Dance Festival, and Banff Festival of the Arts. Studies examining his contributions include Laurence Sherr: Chamber Music for Flute. His awards include grants from the American Music Center, American Composers Forum, and Meet the Composer, and top prizes in the Delius Composition Contest and the Association for the Promotion of New Music competition.