Winner of the Sackler Prize in Music Composition for The Wooden Sword

“Not only is the story (The Thief of Love DVD) entertaining, but so is the score. This is Silver’s first opera, but she knows what a good opera needs; melody. And she offers it in abundance. It all sounds quite fresh and appealing.” American Record Guide (2007)

“Only a few composers in any generation enliven the art form with their musical language and herald new directions in music. Sheila Silver is such a visionary.” Wetterauer Zeitung, Germany (2004)

Midnight Prayer for orchestra “… is an important and substantial piece… Silver describes her work as a “prayer for world peace,” but it is no quiet, passive meditation. Rather, it is a remarkable 12 minute tone poem that conveys a sense of urgency through its ingenious use of harmonic tension and orchestral color.” Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester (2005)

Silver is a classic Modernist, with a traditional sense of time…  (The Piano Concerto) speaks with what I’d call a depth of discourse. Though emotionally rewarding, it bursts with intellectual abundance. Though complex, complexity isn’t its main point. At its best, it bespeaks a maturity of mind and culture found in few composers.  (Classical Net)