Piano Phantoms: Michael Lewin Michael Lewin

• 1Ghosts: Night on the Fleet03:47
• 2Round of Phantoms03:23
• 3Slatter (Norwegian Dances), Op. 72 No. 14. The Bridal Procession of the Goblins at Voss02:26
• 4The Ghost Ship, Op. 109:09
• 54 Fairy Tales, Op. 34 No. 2 in E minor, Leshchiy (Wood Goblin)03:38
• 6Poeticke nalady (Poetic Tone Pictures), Op. 85, B. 161 No. 8. Goblins' Dance (Allegretto)03:23
• 7Kaleidoscope, Op. 18 VII. A Ghost Story (version for piano)01:59
• 8Ghost Dance of the Zunis05:39
• 9Night Music of the Mountain Goblin01:36
• 10Ghosts of Restormel02:24
• 113 Ghost Rags No. 1. The Graceful Ghost04:06
• 12Some Goblins and Gnomes and Things01:47
• 13Goblin and the Mosquito00:59
• 14Goblin Dance01:11
• 15Dance of the Phantoms02:38
• 16March of the Goblins02:48
• 17Der Geistertanz, D. 15 (1st setting)02:33
• 18Ghost Variations: Theme Leise, innig02:06
• 19Ghost Variations: Variation 101:34
• 20Ghost Variations: Variation 2 Kanonisch01:49
• 21Ghost Variations: Variation 3 Etwas belebter02:13
• 22Ghost Variations: Variation 402:07
• 23Ghost Variations: Variation 502:53
• Total Runtime01:06:08

Info for Piano Phantoms: Michael Lewin

Sono Luminus is proud to announce the latest project from Michael Lewin, Piano Phantoms, following the popular and critical success of If I Were a Bird (DSL-92103). This creative new recording is a collection of 18 piano pieces by a mixture of famous and lesser-known composers, each inspired by phantoms, goblins, ghosts and the spirit world. This program includes eight world premiere recordings.

Mr. Lewin commented, “It was a great pleasure to make a second theme recording for Sono Luminus. The entire process is so exciting— musical discoveries, the unearthing of new repertoire, creating a wonderful and interesting program, learning and performing the music, then finally, recording in the beautiful Sono Luminus studios in Virginia. The response to our first disc together, If I Were a Bird, has been warm and gratifying, and I hope that our listeners will also enjoy this slightly more shadowy cast of characters!”

Michael Lewin enjoys a distinguished international reputation as one of America’s most abundantly gifted and charismatic concert pianists, performing to acclamation in 30 countries. Commanding a repertoire of 40 piano concertos, Michael Lewin has appeared as soloist with the Netherlands Philharmonic, Cairo Symphony, Bucharest ‘Enescu’ Philharmonic, Filharmónica Jalisco de Guadalajara, State Symphony of Greece, the Boston Pops, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, the Symphonies of Phoenix, Indianapolis, Miami, Colorado, Nevada, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, Illinois, North Carolina, Sinfonia da Camera, and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. He has premiered two Concertos by David Kocsis and performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue over 50 times.

Lewin’s career was launched with top prizes in the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition in the Netherlands, the American Pianists Association Award and the William Kapell International Competition. Following his notable New York recital debut in Lincoln Center, The New York Times wrote that “his immense technique and ability qualify him eminently for success.” Since then he has concertized widely in solo recital, with orchestras, and as a chamber musician.

Piano Phantoms is a tour-de-force of virtuoso pianism and imaginative musicianship. Michael Lewin’s artistic tone-painting, control of tone colors and ability to tell stories through sound gives unique life to each ghost and goblin.

'Michael Lewin, an American pianist as dexterous and assured as he is audacious, displays dazzling music-making. Lewin's playing positively brims over with high spirits, glitter, panache and stylistic awareness.' (Bryce Morrison, Gramophone Magazine)

Michael Lewin, piano

Michael Lewin
is internationally applauded as one of America’s most abundantly gifted and charismatic concert pianists, performing to acclaim in over 30 countries with orchestras, in recital and as a chamber musician.

Celebrated for his performances of Liszt, he honored the composer's 200th birthday in 2011 around the world with recital programs entitled “Liszt and his Circle” and orchestral performances of the Totentanz and First Piano Concerto. Other recent performances include recitals in Canada and at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., performances of Beethoven's 1st and 3rd Concertos, the Boston premiere of John Harbison's 'Leonard Stein Anagrams' and the world premiere of the David Kocsis “Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra.” He recently made his London recital debut at Wigmore Hall (all-Griffes program), gave a recital at Oxford University, toured China playing the Liszt Piano Concerto No.1 with the China National Radio and Television Orchestra, and made his 13th appearance with the Boston Pops. Summer festival appearances included Holland’s “Peter the Great Festival”, MusicFest Perugia in Italy, the VivaceVilnius Festival in Lithuania and the International Keyboard Institute and Festival in New York City. Mr. Lewin now records exclusively for Sono Luminus, who released 'Piano Phantoms' in May 2013 following the great success of his first CD for the label entitled 'If I Were a Bird.' Forthcoming is an all-Debussy disc, and his 2013 recitals have featured the music of Debussy.

Commanding a repertoire of 40 piano concertos, Michael Lewin’s international orchestral engagements include the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Cairo Symphony, Bucharest ‘Enescu’ Philharmonic, Beijing National Radio and Television Orchestra, Filharmónica de Guadalajara, the Thessaloniki State Symphony of Greece, and the Youth Orchestra of the Americas. He has soloed with American orchestras including the Boston Pops, the Symphonies of Phoenix, Indianapolis, Miami, Colorado, Nevada, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, Illinois, North Carolina, Sinfonia da Camera, and the Jupiter Symphony, He has given world premieres of two piano concertos by David Kocsis, the “Concerto for the New Millennium” in 2000 and the 'Concerto for Piano and Chamber Orchestra' in 2012. He has performed Gershwin’s 'Rhapsody in Blue' over 50 times. He has performed with conductors including Carlos Miguel Prieto, Keith Lockhart, Constantine Orbellian, Anton Kersjes, Theo Alcantara, Ian Hobson, Sergei Babayan and Hugh Wolff.

Michael Lewin’s career was launched with top prizes in the Liszt International Piano Competition in the Netherlands, the William Kapell International Competition, and the American Pianists Association Fellowship. He has been awarded major career grants from the Martha Baird Rockefeller Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts and the Aaron Copland Recording Fund.

Mr. Lewin’s discography has received extraordinary critical praise, and reflects the great scope of his musical interests. “If I Were a Bird,”a selection of 20 bird-themed pieces for Sono Luminus, received a Grammy nomination in the 'Producer of the Year' category. The just-released 'Piano Phantoms' features music inspired by ghosts, goblins, phantoms and the spirit world. An all-Debussy disc featuring the Préludes Book II is in preparation. His recording of Gottschalk 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.” For Naxos he has recorded a best-selling collection of Scarlatti Sonatas and the complete piano music of American composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes in two volumes. Mr. Lewin's recordings on Centaur include “Michael Lewin plays Liszt,” “A Russian Piano Recital”, featuring music of Scriabin, Glazunov and Balakirev, and the four Violin and Piano Sonatas of William Bolcom with violinist Irina Muresanu.

The New York Times wrote of his New York recital debut in Lincoln Center in 1984 that “his immense technique and ability qualify him eminently for success”. Since then, his tours have taken him to New York’s major halls, Boston's Symphony Hall, Pasadena's Ambassador Auditorium, the Library of Congress and National Gallery of Art in Washington, Moscow’s Great Hall, Hong Kong's City Hall Theater, Taipei's National Concert Hall, the Opera Houses of Cairo and Wilmington, the Athens Megaron, Holland’s Muziekcentrum Vredenburg, London’s Wigmore Hall and the Spoleto Festival. Television appearances include a PBS recital performing Schubert’s “Wanderer Fantasy” and Chopin works, hosted by Victor Borge. He has been the featured interview in Clavier and Piano & Keyboard Magazines, and edited piano music of Griffes for C.F.Peters. A Steinway Artist, he was Artistic Director of Steinway’s Gala 150th Anniversary Concert held in 2003 in Boston’s Symphony Hall. His commitment to contemporary music has led to premiere performances of compositions by Joel Hoffman, Andy Vores, David Kocsis, Sylvia Rabinof, Robert Chumbley, Andy Vores and John Harbison.

Deeply committed to guiding and nurturing gifted young pianists, Michael Lewin is one of America’s most sought-after teachers. He is currently a member of the Piano Faculty at The Boston Conservatory, where he also directs the Piano Masters Series. A native of New York, he studied at the Juilliard School. His own teachers included Leon Fleisher, Irwin Freundlich, Adele Marcus, and Yvonne Lefébure.

Booklet for Piano Phantoms: Michael Lewin