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New CD just released!
Fall 2007 saw the worldwide release of the new CD by the Lewin-Muresanu Duo, which features the violin sonatas of William Bolcolm. 50 Performances of Rhapsody in Blue Michael Lewin's Oct. 14/15 2006 performances of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Miami Symphony under Eduardo Marturet mark 50 acclaimed performances of this work. In the United States he has played it with orchestras including the Boston Pops, Indianapolis Symphony, West Virginia Symphony, Middletown Symphony, Colorado Springs Symphony, Cape Ann Symphony and the Miami Symphony. In Europe he has played it with the Bucharest Philharmonic Orchestra, the Thessaloniki State Orchestra of Greece and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas in Italy. Conductors with whom he has collaborated on it include Keith Lockhart, William Henry Curry, Thomas Conlin, Carmon DeLeone, Yaacov Bergman, Dmitri Toufexis, Yoichi Udagawa, Eduardo Marturet and Carlos Miguel Prieto. Mr. Lewin also plays Gershwin's Concerto in F and his rarely performed Second Rhapsody. European Concerts In the fall of 2005, Michael Lewin performed Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” in Greece with the Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra under Dimitri Toufexis. The concerts were held in the Thessaloniki Megaron and the Athens Megaron. He also made two different trips to Italy. In October, he gave a recital and master class with violinist Irina Muresanu in Trieste, at the United World College of the Adriatic. In July of this year, he appears with the Youth Orchestra of the Americas under Carlos Prieto at the Musica Riva Festival on Lake Garda. Lewin-Muresanu Duo Recordings The Lewin-Muresanu Duo received a 2006 Copland Foundation Recording Grant to record the Four Violin Sonatas of William Bolcom for Centaur Records. The CD will be released in the fall of 2007. The Boston Globe praised their live performances of these works, saying “their playing was marked by passion and tremendous rhythmic vitality”, with “almost telepathic rapport.” The Duo also recently recorded “Kreutzette”, by Andy Vores. (www.andyvores.com). They commissioned and premiered this work, meant to be played with the Beethoven “Kreutzer” Sonata. Gramofone Magazine praised the performance, saying “the Lewin-Muersanu Duo keep the work light and speculative.” Buy Michael Lewin’s Centaur Recordings on sale directly from Centaur Centaur Records is offering Michael Lewin’s three recordings for that label at a special sale price of $16 each. The recordings are: “Michael Lewin plays Liszt," “A Russian Piano Recital," and “Bamboula! Piano Music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk." Go to www.centaurrecords.com for more information. Summer 2004 Mr. Lewin makes his first tour of the Czech Republic in July, performing recitals in Prague, Nové Mesto, at the Cesky Krumlov International Piano Festival, and in Jihlava at the Vysocina Festival, as well as giving a master class for the European Piano Teachers Association. He performs twice in Puerto Rico this summer -- a solo recital in San Juan in June, and an all-Schumann program in Ponce in August. In June, the Lewin-Muresanu Duo recorded Kreutzette, by Andy Vores, for an all-Vores disc. They had commissioned and premiered this work last season. Mr. Lewin makes his debut with the North Carolina Symphony under William Henry Curry on July 20 and 24, performing Gershwin's Second Rhapsody and the Gottschalk Grand Tarantelle. 2003-04 Season Highlights Michael Lewin's international concerts this season include his first trip to the Czech Republic in July performing three Festival recitals, in Mexico with the Orquesta Sinfonica de Guadalajara playing Liszt's Totentantz (Dance of Death), as well as Canadian concerts. Other orchestral engagements include Rhapsody in Blue three times with the Boston Pops and Keith Lockhart in Symphony Hall; Totentantz with Ian Hobson conducting the Liszt Festival Orchestra at the University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana; and a pair of Haydn Concertos both with the Boston Virtuosi under Paul Dulude as well as in Puerto Rico with Henry Hutchinson conducting. He will also appear often in recital with violinist Irina Muresanu as the new Lewin-Muresanu Duo. BAMBOULA! Receives 2002 Top 10 CD Pick Michael Lewin's sixth recording, Bamboula! Piano Music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk has been winning rave reviews. It was selected by the Boston Herald's Keith Powers as a 2002 Top 10 CD release. Richard Dyer of the Boston Globe raved "Lewin has the chops and the charm for these pieces." Donald Vroon, writing in American Record Guide, enthused "Here it sparkles. Sound and articulation are wonderful, and the flow is utterly natural. Lewin need take second place to no one in this piece." And Leonne Lewis in Clavier Magazine wrote: "The recording is outstanding from start to finish; and Lewin's playing is fresh and alive, blazing with energy and rhythmic precision... This C.D. by Lewin will keep you smiling!" November '02 Recital Tours Great Success Michael Lewin's recitals in
November took him to Canada, New England and South Carolina. All
concerts met with standing ovations, immediate re-engagements and
glowing reivews. The program was: Prokofiev Sonata No.3, Scriabin
Sonata-Fantasy No.2, Beethoven "Waldstein" Sonata, Brahms
B minor Rhapsody and Intermezzos Op.119 Nos.1&3 and the Ginastera
Piano Sonata No. 1. Recording News Michael Lewin has three new compact disc releases
on the Naxos label, performing piano music of Domenico Scarlatti
and Charles Tomlinson Griffes. Orchestral News Michael Lewin will perform the world premiere
of the David Kocsis Piano Concerto,"For the New Millenium"
(1999), in January in Georgia with the Macon Symphony under the
direction of Adrian Gnam. The premiere takes place on Jan.22, 2000
in Macon, Georgia with a repeat performance on January 23rd in Griffin,
Georgia. Mr. Lewin will also perform Franck's Symphonic Variations
on the program. Mr. Lewin has often performed the Kocsis Preludes
for Piano, which were dedicated to him, in earlier seasons. For
more information on this exciting event, please visit the concert's
website at www.organdesigns.com. |
