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Faculty & Staff > Performace > Julius Levine |
Julius Levine, Artist in Residence;
Coordinator of Chamber Music
B.S. Juilliard School of Music, 1947
Julius Levine, renowned double bassist and beloved chamber music teacher died March 28th, 2003. He was 81.
Many students remember their coaching sessions with Julius Levine as their most valuable experiences at Stony Brook. Julius has been a central figure in our music faculty, serving for many years on the Graduate Studies Committee and coordinating a chamber music program that has given birth to many successful professional ensembles. In his distinguished career as a double-bassist, Mr. Levine has appeared as guest artist with the Budapest, Juilliard, Guarneri and Amadeus String Quartets. He was a frequent participant in Alexander Schneider's New School Concerts series and Brandenburg Ensemble. For many years Mr. Levine was Principal Bass at the Casals festivals in Prades, Perpignam, and Puerto Rico. His recordings include no fewer than five different performances of Schubert's "Trout" Quintet.Curriculum Vitae
Degrees and Honors:
B.A., Brooklyn College 1943
B.S., Juilliard School of Music 1947
Honors Award for Special Achievement in Music:
Brooklyn College 1957
Performance:
I began my professional career in 1947. Since that time, I have played at one time or another with a substantial majority of the goups functioning in New York City musical life.
Those associations (other than chamber music) which I consider most significant are:
Festival Casals: I played at the Perpignan and Prades Festivals in 1951 and 1953 and was the leader of the bass section of the festival in Puerto Rico until I resigned following the Memorial Festival in 1975, after 20 years of participation.
Musica Aeterna: I was the first bass of the Musica Aeterna series since its inception in 1956.
Chamber Music:
In the field of chamber music, I have participated in the following:
- 1. Been a participant at the Marlboro Festival for 24 summers.
2. Gone on numerous Music from Marlboro tours in the United States, Europe, and Israel.
3. Been the regular guest bassist with the Budapest Quartet from 1956 until they disbanded.
4. Been guest artist with the Juilliard, Guarneri, New Music, WQXR, Curtis, Galimir and Amadeus Quartets.
5. Been a member of the New York Chamber Soloists since it was formed in 1958.
6. Made numerous chamber music recordings including four versions of "Die Forellen" of Schubert (Galimir, Budapest, Schneider, Marlboro), Stravinsky's "Histoire d'un Soldat" under the composer's direction and two Rossini Quartets. Also, recorded two performances I coached at the Marlboro Festival: Hummel - Septet (Columbia); Dvorak Quintet, Op. 18 (Marlboro Recording Society).
I have been teaching since 1949 when I began at the Greenwich House Music School.
At present I am teaching at:
- SUNY at Stony Brook 1976
Mannes College 1967
- 1. Resident artist at Marlboro Festival for 24 years.
2. Private coaching of chamber groups and performers on various instruments (from student
to prominent young professionals.)
3. In 1972-73, I gave a weekly three hour coaching seminar in the interior rhythms of expressive phrasing to the vocal majors of Brooklyn College at the request of the Chairman of Performance.
4. Other periodic chamber coaching at Mannes College.
5. Chamber music at SUNY Stony Brook since 1976.
Although I have not been an active composer for some 15-20 years, I was quite serious at one point. The culmination of this period was a comission for a children's opera "The Golden Medal" from the New York Philharmonic which was done during their 1952-53 series of Young People's concerts.
Current Activity:
At present I am Director of Chamber Music at Stony Brook, and conduct a weekly performance class at the Mannes College of Music
Work in Progress:
For many years, as an outgrowth of my long association with Pablo Casals and his profound effect on me, I have been engaged in the development of some theories on musical expression. These theories have to do with music as a reflection of the life process, with the energy which begets the sound as the agent of expression, and with the understanding of pulsation as a pyramid of rhythmic phrasing.
This work has led me to an understanding of the role of the body in projecting the emotion, the need for technique to serve the musical need, and how to read music for its expressive content.
It is my hope one day to publish the results of my investigations as a contribution towards a more precise understanding of the "science" of emotional communication.
1979-80
1977 - Began teaching bass and coaching chamber music at Peabody Conservatory
1977-80 - Additional chamber music performances with Guarneri, Juilliard, Melos Quartets.
Released Hummel Septet, Columbia
Taking on tour this season, "Histoire d'un Soldat", Stravinsky - Music from Marlboro Tour
Other upcoming chamber music engagements this season:
Bermuda Festival, Madeira Bach Festival, Mostly Mozart, Chamber Music at the Y, BAM.
1998 - 15 summers as chamber music coach at the Tanglewood Music Festival.