Cantor Shira Lissek
Vocals
Cantor Shira Lissek is the Senior Cantor of Temple Israel in Charlotte and a nationally recognized voice in contemporary Jewish music. Before coming to Charlotte, she served as Associate Cantor of Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, one of the most influential musical and liturgical centers of American Judaism. Her artistry seamlessly blends tradition and innovation — honoring centuries of Jewish musical heritage while giving new voice to its evolving expression.
Cantor Lissek’s performances have graced some of the world’s most iconic stages, including Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, the Kimmel Center, and Seattle Opera. In Charlotte, she is a proud artistic partner of the Charlotte Symphony, performing at the Knight Theater, the Carolina Theatre, and Temple Israel. She also appears regularly at Middle C Jazz, most recently in two sold-out programs with Noel Friedline, a Barbra Streisand tribute and Shira Lissek Sings the Great American Songbook, with a new program scheduled for March 2026.
A dedicated educator and conductor, she founded TI Teens Rock and TI Kids Sing, inspiring and empowering the next generation of young Jewish musicians. She is a founding member of the North Carolina Jewish Clergy Association and serves on the board of the Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center at Queens University.
Grounded in heritage and guided by a belief in music’s power to unite, heal, and uplift, Cantor Lissek is honored to share the miracle of Hanukkah tonight through the enduring light of song. A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music (M.M.) and Indiana University (B.M.), she is the proud mother of Reuben and Maayan.
