Performer

In the classical world, Robert Levy, trumpeter, served as a guest artist and on the faculty for many summer music festivals and camps, including Interlochen, Empire Brass Symposium at Tanglewood, Red Lodge (Montana), Tidewater Music Festival (Maryland), Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (Michigan), Encore/Coda (Maine), and numerous others. In 1991, he was guest artist-in-residence at the Western Academy of Performing Arts in Australia, performing a solo recital, presenting trumpet master classes, and conducting a program of American music for the school's wind ensemble. In 2001, he performed and presented master classes at three music conservatories in Beijing and Xian in China.

Levy has recorded and toured both as a soloist, with marimbist Gordon Stout as the Wilder Duo, the Iowa and Tidewater Brass Quintets, the Boston Jazz Composers Alliance, and the Ken Schaphorst Big Band. He has recorded and performed with many of today's finest brass artists, including David Jolley, Martin Hackleman, and Bill Scharnberg, horn; Chris Gekker, trumpet; Michael Powell, trombone; David Taylor and Thomas Everett, bass trombone; Sam Pilafian and Harvey Phillips, tuba; and Brian Bowman and Loren Marsteller, euphonium. His recordings as a leader, "Cross Over" (Stellar Sound Productions) and "Blackberry Winter" (Mark Records), received high praise from Cadence magazine. Other recordings appear on the Albany, Serenus, Trilogy, CRI, Accurate, Klavier, Golden Crest, and Northeastern labels. He has also performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, as a soloist at Carnegie Recital Hall, the Museum of Modern Art, and the New York City annual Brass Conference. He has twice been a featured guest soloist for the International Trumpet Guild's Annual Conference. He has also served on the Board of Directors and composition and commissioning committees for the International Trumpet Guild.

He has performed as soloist and chamber musician in more than forty states, Canada, Portugal, China (above picture at Central University of Nationalities, Beijing), Australia, Jamaica, and Haiti; at Harvard University, Manhattan School of Music, Indiana University, and, in 1991 was guest artist-in-residence at the Western Australia Academy of Performing Arts. He has also performed with the National Symphony Orchestra (Washington, D.C) and Green Bay Symphony, as a soloist with the Fox Valley Symphony, Watts Electric New Music Ensemble, Center for New Music (Iowa), and Memphis State University Contemporary Players. In addition, he and Gordon Stout as the Wilder Duo, frequently toured the country. A tireless worker, his engaging manner, creative approach, and teaching have influenced students of all ages.

Initially, as a trumpeter, Levy explored new and fascinating modern works and, for many years, was an active proponent seeking to broaden his instrument's solo and chamber music repertoire. This led to friendships with dozens of American composers, commissioning new works, and premiering numerous compositions as a soloist, with brass quintets, and as conductor of the Lawrence University (Wisconsin) Wind Ensemble (1979-2004). Those friendships led to his creation of the award-winning Tidewater Music Festival in 1972 in Maryland, where guest composers included Aaron Copland, Alec Wilder, David Cope, Vincent Persichetti, Sydney Hodkinson, and Warren Benson. Firmly believing his students should interact with composers, he brought to Wisconsin Paul Creston, Donald Erb, Benson, Schuller, Walter Hartley, Dina Koston, Eric Ewazen, Gordon Stout, and many others while premiering, recording, and conducting their works for wind ensemble. He further enjoyed a close association with composers David Amram, William Mayer, Elie Siegmeister, Paul Turok, Allan Blank, William Russo, and Wilder.

A leading advocate for contemporary music for most of his life, Levy has premiered one hundred works as a soloist, chamber musician, or conductor. He continues to "champion" the music of American composer Alec Wilder, with whom he enjoyed a close association for many years. Since 1987, the "Robert Levy Brass Series" with Nichols Music Company (now Ensemble Music) has grown to include more than 40 works. As a composer, his works have been premiered and performed by some of this country's leading brass artists, including Chris Gekker, Sam Pilafian, and David Taylor.

He performed with the Lawrence Brass and faculty jazz ensemble, Extempo at Lawrence University. In addition, he also was co-leader of the 17-member Big Band Reunion, which produced two CD recordings following performances with Carl Fontana, Ed Shaughnessy, Clark Terry, Bill Watrous, Marlena Shaw, and Eddie Daniels.

Flex Ensemble - improvisation with dance, music, theatre
With avant garde cellist Matt Turner, exotic percussionist Dane Richeson, and the creative modern dancer Betty Ebben-Wimmer, Robert Levy performed on conch shell, garden hose, natural trumpet, piccolo trumpet, and several other horns in this eclectic modern dance/improvisation ensemble designed to appeal especially to younger students. The improvisation quartet has presented concerts and workshops throughout Wisconsin for the Arts World Institute, Lawrence University, UW-Stevens Point, and numerous grade schools. Supported by the Fox Valley Arts Alliance, Wisconsin Arts Board, and the CAP Arts Advocacy program, their presentations are designed to "awaken the creativity within the child" and "to teach students to participate and express their own creativity." All their concert/presentations have received enthusiastic responses from school children.