Shapirra conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and soloist Georges Pludermacher in the posthumous world premiere of Jani Christou's Toccata for Piano and Orchestra (1962), on 23 April 1973 in Oxford.
The work was performed with colored lighting for the first time in England on 4 May 1972, by the London Symphony Orchestra under Elyakum Shapirra at the Royal Albert Hall.
His first job in a professional orchestra was as a percussionist at Malmö Symphony Orchestra under Israeli conductor Elyakum Shapirra.