The Lewin-Muresanu Duo
Irina Muresanu - violin • Michael Lewin - piano

The Lewin-Muresanu Duo's acclaimed performances of the complete Bolcom Violin-Piano Sonatas and "Graceful Ghost Rag" on Centaur Records: Available everywhere CDs are sold! Photo: Lucy Cobos

Reviews:
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"Bringing fervor and range to Bolcom:
The Bolcom Sonatas are also phenomenally difficult, something that seemed of no consequence to Muresanu and Lewin….almost telepathic rapport…Their playing was marked by passion and tremendous rhythmic vitality."

- The Boston Globe, April, 2006 (Read the entire rave review!)

"formidable...amazingly flexible unanimity. The Graceful Ghost bring this program to a sensitive and memorable close."

- Jed Distler, Classicstoday.com, April, 2008 (Read the entire rave review!)

"At the KWCMS Music Room, Michael Lewin, one of our favorite pianists, performed with Rumanian violinist Irina Muresanu, who turns out to be one of the finest violinists we've ever heard. She has a beautiful, sweet sound, yet can raise the roof where needed, and is technically equal to anything. Fine duo playing, with stylistic unanimity, throughout. Kreutzette, by Andy Vores, is an oddity, pretty arcanely related to the Kreutzer Sonata, though cute in its zany way. The Beethoven Sonata itself got a breathtaking performance, with the finale at breakneck speed but crystal clear -- no mean feat! The great variations movement was tender and lovely. Yehudi Wyner's two Dances of Atonement are intense works and couldn't be played better; Brahms Sonata No. 3 showed the violinist's power as well as both players' affection and insight. A sensational concert!"

- Waterloo Gazette, Canada, 2005

About the Duo:
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The Lewin-Muresanu Duo, combining the extraordinary gifts of Romanian violinist Irina Muresanu and American pianist Michael Lewin, has quickly become well-known and sought after for their dynamic performances of the rich violin and piano repertoire. The Duo brings together two internationally applauded soloists and chamber musicians who combine in a compelling synergy of charisma, musical command, synchronicity and virtuosity. Winners of the 2005 Aaron Copland Recording Fund Grant, they recently recorded the Four Sonatas and the Graceful Ghost Rag by William Bolcom for Centaur Records. The Duo is an Ensemble-in-Residence at The Boston Conservatory, where they both serve on the Artist-Faculty. In 2006 the Boston Globe wrote: “They’ve played together for only three years, but you wouldn’t know it from their almost telepathic rapport. Their playing was marked by fervor, passion and tremendous rhythmic vitality.” Their Canadian debut in 2004 brought an immediate reengagement and was hailed by the Waterloo Gazette for its “power, affection and insight…a sensational concert!” Their first recording together was “Kreutzette” by Andy Vores, which was written for them, and praised in Gramophone Magazine.

The Duo has performed in recital throughout the Northeast and Canada, in New York at Bargemusic, toured Florida, and played the Martinu Concerto da Camera with the Boston Conservatory Orchestra under Bruce Hangen. Other recitals together include New Hampshire’s Philips Exeter Academy, Vermont’s Killington Music Festival, Rhode Island’s Music on the Hill series, Canada’s Kitchener-Waterloo Music Society and in Italy at the United World College of the Adriatic. In Massachusetts they have played on the Boston Conservatory’s Faculty Recital Series and New Music Festival, the Kalliroscope Gallery Chamber Series in Groton, as well as in Rehoboth, Westwood, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the St. Botolph Club, the Harvard-Epworth Church and on WGBH. Irina and Michael began playing together in January 2003, their early concerts taking place in Puerto Rico at the Tapia Theatre and El Convento, on WGBH Radio and throughout New England. The Blizzard of 2003 thwarted their initial attempt at a Boston debut- that occasion instead took place at the Franklin Institute during the Boston Conservatory’s 2004 Winterfest, a year that also included recitals in Worcester, the WCRB-Copley Plaza series, the All-Newton Music School, in Canada, and an orchestral performance of the rarely heard Concerto in F Major by Haydn for Violin, Piano and String Orchestra, with the Boston Virtuosi. They are involved in ongoing explorations of the Beethoven, Brahms, Bolcom and Prokofiev Sonata cycles, a wide variety of recital pieces, and various Double Concertos with orchestra.

Irina Muresanu, Violinist

The Romanian violinist Irina Muresanu has won international acclaim as a charismatic and fiery soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. She is a top prize winner in the Montreal International Competition, UNISA International String Competition in South Africa, and the Washington International, as well as having won the Pro Musicis International Award and Presser Award. Ms. Muresanu has appeared as soloist with L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, the Boston Pops, the Metropolitaine Orchestra in Montreal, the Boston Philharmonic, the Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, the Romanian National Radio Orchestra, and the Miami and Syracuse Symphonies. Her recordings include the world-premiere of Marion Bauer’s Violin Sonata on Albany, Sonatas by Lekeu and Magnard on Ar Re-Se, Korngold chamber works on VPRO and the Bolcom Violin Sonatas with Mr. Lewin on Centaur. Ms. Muresanu also performs as a member of the Boston Trio and the Walden Chamber Players, is a frequent guest of the Boston Chamber Music Society and a popular Festival guest artist. Ms. Muresanu is on the Violin Faculty of The Boston Conservatory. She plays an 1856 Joseph Rocca violin and a Charles Peccat bow.

www.irinamuresanu.com

Michael Lewin, Pianist

The American pianist Michael Lewin enjoys a distinguished international career and reputation, launched by victories in the Liszt International Competition, the William Kapell International Competition and the American Pianists Association Beethoven Fellowship. He has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Netherlands Philharmonic, Cairo Symphony, Guadalajara Philharmonic, Bucharest ‘Enescu’ Philharmonic, Youth Orchestra of the Americas and the Symphonies of Phoenix, Indianapolis, North Carolina, West Virginia, Nevada, New Orleans, Miami, Colorado, Thessaloniki State Orchestra of Greece, Puerto Rico and the Boston Pops. He has performed in New York’s Lincoln Center, London’s Wigmore Hall, Taiwan’s National Concert Hall, Hong Kong’s City Hall Theatre, Holland’s Muziekcentrum, the Great Hall in Moscow, the Megaron in Athens, the Spoleto Festival and on PBS Television. His recordings on Naxos and Centaur include the complete piano music of Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Scarlatti Piano Sonatas, a Liszt album, a Russian recital and Bamboula!, piano music by Louis Moreau Gottschalk. He now records for Dorian SonoLuminus. A Steinway Artist, Mr. Lewin is on the Piano Faculty of The Boston Conservatory.

www.michaellewin.com

Sample Recital Programs
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Concert Schedule
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Irina Muresanu and Michael Lewin in Studio One with WGBH Radio Host Richard Knisely. March 2006

Contact the Lewin-Muresanu Duo:
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