Gershwin, Gottschalk and Guest Artist Michael Lewin

Pre-print of article published in the Concord Journal on Feb 22, 2013. 

Michael Lewin

Boston played a role in the origins of the American classic Rhapsody in Blue, and a Boston-based piano virtuoso who lives in Newton will bring the piece to life in Concord on March 2 at the Performing Arts Center, 51 Walden Street. In early January 1924, George Gershwin was on a train ride from New York to Boston when the rhythmic noises of the train on steel rails helped him form the concept of Rhapsody in Blue. Internationally-acclaimed pianist Michael Lewin has made the Rhapsody an important part of his piano repertoire. He has performed it more than 50 times with orchestras around the world. Of a performance in Miami, the Miami Herald said: "The virtuoso pianist confirmed his gifts with this stellar appearance. He gave us a precise and solid interpretation of the famous work. Lewin’s execution was truly impressive in its style and energy."

Guest Artist Spotlight: Virtuoso Pianist Michael Lewin

Michael Lewin
Guest Artist, piano

Michael Lewin is internationally applauded as one of America’s most abundantly gifted and charismatic concert pianists, performing to acclaim in more than 30 countries with orchestras, in recital and as a chamber musician. Commanding a repertoire of 40 piano concertos, he has performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue more than 50 times. He has performed with conductors including Carlos Miguel Prieto, Keith Lockhart, Constantine Orbellian, Anton Kersjes, Theo Alcantara,  Sergei Babayan and Hugh Wolff. Mr. Lewin’s discography has received extraordinary critical praise, and reflects the great scope of his musical interests. His recording of Gottschalk’s piano music, “Bamboula!”, earned a Boston Herald “Year’s Top 10 Pick”, while the Boston Globe enthused that “Lewin has the chops and the charm for these pieces.” Deeply committed to guiding and nurturing gifted young pianists, Michael Lewin is one of America’s most sought-after teachers. He is a member of the Piano Faculty at The Boston Conservatory, where he also directs the Piano Masters Series, and at Boston University, where he is Visiting Artist in Piano. A native of New York, he studied at the Juilliard School. His own teachers included Leon Fleisher, Irwin Freundlich, Adele Marcus, and Yvonne Lefébure.

Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue in its Original Setting

The Concord Band continues a significant 54th season with its annual Winter Concert, presented at the Performing Arts Center at 51 Walden Street in Concord, on Saturday, March 2, at 8:00 PM. Rhapsody in Blue, features internationally acclaimed pianist Michael Lewin playing two monumental works for piano by American composers: Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin and Célèbre Tarantelle by Louis Moreau Gottschalk. The program (subtitled “Made in America”) consists of works written between 1858 and 1950, all but one by American composers.