Robert Brooks Levy (musician)

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Robert Brooks Levy (born in 1943, in Staten Island, New York) is a trumpeter, chamber musician, conductor, composer, jazz player, big band leader, educator, guest artist, clinician, and recording artist. Levy has lived a richly diverse musical life. His more than fifty recordings span a dozen record labels. A champion of contemporary music, he has premiered more than 100 works as a conductor or performer. His deep knowledge of modern music, wind and brass techniques, improvisation, conducting, composing, and jazz has allowed him a rich and versatile career.

Early life and education:[edit]

Levy graduated from Freeport High School in Long Island in 1961 and then attended Valley Forge Military Academy before earning degrees from the Ithaca College School of Music and the University of North Texas. At the University of Iowa School of Music, he completed the coursework for the DMA program in trumpet performance while a member of the faculty Brass Quintet. Teachers included James Ode and James F. Burke at Ithaca, John Hayne at the University of North Texas, and John Beer at the Iowa School of Music. Important and inspirational influences in his musical life were saxophonist Donald Sinta and composer Warren Benson at Ithaca College. American composer Alec Wilder perhaps had the most profound impact both musically and personally. Levy once noted, “Alec Wilder has had the most profound effect on my musical and personal life and enriched it tenfold.”

Personal life:[edit]

When Levy was about eight, he attended a U.S. Marine Band concert and when three trumpeters came forward and performed Leroy Anderson’s Bugler’s Holiday, he knew he wanted to play the trumpet.

Lifelong loves have been dogs, especially his St. Bernard, Studley, words, books, baseball, and the great Willie Mays. Later, while living in Appleton, Wisconsin, Levy became an ardent Packers fan.

Today, Levy resides in Long Beach, in Nassau County, New York where he continues to teach young people, conduct brass clinics, compose, and perform. His daughter, Randi, is an award-winning music educator who lives in Maryland where she has developed a rock music curriculum for high school students. She has also taught band, orchestra, chorus, and guitar.

Trumpeter:[edit]

As a trumpeter, Mr. Levy has performed throughout the United States and internationally. He appeared twice at annual conferences of the International Trumpet Guild (where he also served as a board member and on its composition and commissioning committees), participated in several concerts with the National Symphony Orchestra, numerous brass quintets, and many jazz groups. As half of the Wilder Duo, performing with Gordon Stout, a marimba virtuoso, he presented concerts for the International Trumpet Guild and Percussive Arts Society, at numerous universities and colleges, and the Carnegie Recital Hall. He has performed over 50 works written expressly for him and several dozen written for wind ensemble, chamber groups, and brass quintet. He performed extensively in New York City, Washington DC, and Canada with composer John Watts and the Watts Electric Ensemble. Robert has also performed in Canada, Portugal, Australia, China, Jamaica, and Haiti.

Educator:[edit]

Levy’s teaching career began at Henderson University in Arkansas (1967-1969), before moving to St. Mary’s College of Maryland (1971-1979), where he developed the music major, chaired the music department, and was the founder and Music Director for the award-winning Tidewater Music Festival. From 1979 through 2004 he was a professor of music (trumpet) and director of bands at the Conservatory of Music, Lawrence University^[1] in Appleton, Wisconsin.

During summers, Levy taught, conducted, and performed at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan, the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp in Twin Lake, Michigan, the Tanglewood Music Center Fellowship Program, in Lenox, Massachusetts, the Red Lodge Music Festival in Billings, Montana, Encore Coda in Maine, at Eastern Washington University, and at Holy Trinity Music School in Haiti.

==Conductor==: From 1979 through 2004 Levy served as Director of Bands at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Under his leadership, the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble^[2] produced eight recordings and premiered more than twenty-five new works. The ensemble also performed

at national, regional, and state conventions for the College Band Directors National Association, American Bandmasters Association, and Wisconsin State Music Association.

A Champion of 20th-century composers, Levy has conducted over 200 performances of modern works. Warren Benson, Gunther Schuller, and Alec Wilder^[3] were among the composers who had the most significant influence. Other composers Levy worked closely with were David Amram, Paul Creston, William Mayer, Paul Turok, John Watts, Newel Kay Brown, Frank Lynn Payne, Dina Koston, William Russo, and Eric Ewazen.

During the 2004/2005 academic year, Levy was a visiting guest conductor for the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s wind ensemble and Artistic Director/Conductor for the school’s new music college, the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. This group presented four on-campus programs and a concert exchange with the University of Iowa

Center for New Music and the University of Minnesota New Music Ensemble and hosted on-campus visits with composers Gunther Schuller, John Harbison, Dina Koston, and Rodney Rogers.

Over his nearly forty-year career, Levy was an Artist-in-residence at the Western Australian Academy at Edith Cowan University in Australia. He has conducted and performed for All-State and District music festivals throughout the United States. Mr. Levy has given clinics at The Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of Music, Indiana University, the Eastman School of Music, and at many high schools and middle schools nationwide.

Composer:[edit]

Levy’s compositions have been performed in the United States, China, and Australia. Works and commissions include Reflections (for clarinet and trumpet) premiered at the international conventions of the Trumpet Guild and Clarinet Society, Tangents (for trombone choir), Hymn Song (for orchestra), Stars Remain, Kaleidoscope, Tapestry, and Abide With Me-Fantasia (for band), and several compositions for chamber music groups. As the recipient of a “new work” award from the Wisconsin Arts Board, Levy has been a guest composer at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and has had his music performed internationally and recorded by some of this country’s leading brass and jazz players.

Among them are Chris Gekker^[4], trumpet, David Taylor, bass trombone, David Jolley, horn, and Sam Pilafian, tuba.

Awards:[edit]

• President’s Award for Creative Teaching: St. Mary’s College of Maryland, 1972
• First place award for performance and promotion of contemporary music: National Association Of Music Clubs,1976
• Honorary master's degree: Lawrence University
• Downbeat Magazine Outstanding College Division winner (Wind ensemble), 1995

Partial discography:[edit]

As Soloist:[edit]

• Music for Trumpet, 1971
• Alec Wilder Trumpet Concerto No. 2 - Univ. of South Florida Wind Ensemble, F. Fennell, Cond.: G. Crest ATH 5070
• Watts Electric (with composer John Watts): Serenus SRS 12080

Chamber music:[edit]

• Alec Wilder’s Music for Marimba and Other Instruments, 1979
• Wilder about Brass - Tidewater Brass Quintet: Golden Crest CRS 4156
• Tidewater Brass Quintet: Golden Crest CRS 4174
• Tidewater Brass Quintet: Golden Crest CRS 4179
• Tidewater Brass Quintet: Golden Crest CRS 4205
• Wilder Duo
• William Mayer Brass Quintet, 1965
• Iowa Brass Quintet - Trilogy/Composers Theatre Series: Serenus CTS 1001
• Iowa Brass Quintet: Composers Recordings CRI SD291
• Newel Kay Brown: Capra Records CRS 1201

Jazz:[edit]

• Did you Ever Cross Over To Sneden’s, 1997
• Blackberry Winter, Songs by Alec Wilder, 1994: Mark CD MCD 1641
• Frank's Place, 1999: Stellar Sound CD STEL1006
• Highland, 1995: Mark CD MCD 1859
• One Night Suite, 2006
• The Jazz Orgy
• Crossover: Stellar Sound CD STEL 1003 (SSP)
• When the Moon Jumps - Ken Schaphorst Ensemble: Accurate AC-4203CD
• FLUX - Boston Jazz Composers Alliance: Northwestern NR-5010-CD
• The Best of One O'Clock, North Texas State One O'Clock Lab Band: Amazing AMCD 1027
• Lab '67 - North Texas State One O'Clock Lab Band: Century 27377
• The Swingphonic Sounds of Sammy Nestico - North Texas State One O'Clock Lab Band: Mark MES 32244

Composer[edit]

• Trumpet Music of Robert Levy, performed by Chris Gekker, 2019
• The Jazz Orgy
• One Night Suite, 2006

As conductor:[edit]

• Alec Wilder Music for Winds and Brass, 2005
• Premieres 2000 - Lawrence University Wind Ensemble: Mark CD MCD 3875
• John Harmon's Trilogy for trumpet/Wind Ensemble - Lawrence University Wind Ensemble
• American Music for Winds - Lawrence University Wind Ensemble: Mark CD MCD 1302
• Music of Paul Creston - Lawrence Wind Ensemble: Golden Crest ATH 5075
• Music of Warren Benson - Lawrence Wind Ensemble: Golden Crest ATH 5085
• Wind Ensemble Music by Rodney Rodgers and John Harmon -
• Lawrence University Wind Ensemble: Composers Edition 200-95026
• The Composers Brass Orchestra, NY: Trilogy (Serenus) SRS 12080

External link[edit]

• Robert Levy retires from Lawrence University^[5]
• Robert Levy's final wind ensemble concert at Lawrence University^[6]
• Robert Levy legacy at St. Mary’s College of Maryland^[7]
• Robert Levy information information on HSU (Henderson State University) Trumpets^[8]
• Robert Levy on Music.Metason^[9]
• The Life’s Work of Bob Levy, by Julie Waters^[10]
• Meet Trumpeter, Teacher, Composer, and Film Maker, Bob Levy, by Randi Fay^[11]
• Chris Gekker on the Trumpet Music of Robert Levy^[12]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

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