A painstaking effort more than 10 years in the making, this is the definitive biography of Robert Shaw, the father of American choral music. Shaw stands alongside key figures who created a culture of classical music in the United States, such as Leonard Bernstein and George Gershwin, and his work is well-known among today's thousands of choral conductors. Shaw received 14 Grammy Awards, the first Guggenheim Fellowship ever awarded to a conductor, and four ASCAP Awards for service to contemporary music, as well as many other distinguished awards and recognitions. With numerous black-and-white photos, this essential work brings to light all aspects of the life and accomplishments of an American classical music icon. A DVD is included that contains 4.5 hours of rare footage of Robert Shaw in rehearsal at Boston University.