Eugene Levinson, principal bass of the New York Philharmonic, enjoys a worldwide career as soloist and teacher. Born in Kiev, he graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory with a DMA and became its youngest faculty member.
He has been co-chair of the bass faculty of the Aspen Music Festival and School since 1979, and many of his students are members of the world’s prestigious orchestras.
Question: Tell us about yourself: hometown, family, when you started playing, how you decided on an instrument.
Answer: Hometown is Kiev, Ukraine. Family: my father is an economist, mother an amateur soprano, older two brothers are a violinist and a cellist. I began to play bass at 9 years of age. In my earlier years I always heard a lot of music, especially symphony orchestra. I just fell in love with bass and chose to become a bass player.
Q: How did you come to join the AMFS artist-faculty?
A: In 1979 at the recommendation of my late friend, Stuart Sankey, a faculty member since AMFS began, I was invited to join the AMFS artist-faculty.
Q: How many years have you been coming to Aspen?
A: For 28 years.
Q: What was the highlight of your first season here?
A: Mahler symphony No. 1 performed with the FSO, G. Mester conducting.
Q: What accomplishment are you most proud of, musically speaking?
A: To be able to bring bass on highest musical and technical level, equally as an orchestral instrument and as a solo instrument.
Q: Besides the Festival, what is your favorite thing to do in Aspen?
A: Playing tennis and basketball with my students.
Q: What event are you most interested in seeing perform this season?
A: A. Schoenberg: Gurre-Lieder, on Aug. 17.
Q: When did you first decide you were going to be a professional musician?
A: Right from very first steps playing bass, I never thought of any other profession.
The Aspen Music Festival and School provides The Score to the Aspen Daily News.
