Piano Trio Masterpieces

B-flat Magic

Artists
Max Levinson, piano
Irina Muresanu, violin
Ronald Lowry, cello

What’s in a key? The two featured works—Brahms’ Op. 18 string sextet in B-flat major, grand in scope and arranged beautifully for piano trio by Theodor Kirchner, and Franz Schubert‘s magnificent Op. 99 Piano Trio in B-flat major—provide different answers.

Program
Johannes Brahms, String Sextet No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 18, arranged for piano trio by Theodor Kirchner
Franz Schubert, Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 99, D. 898

About the Artists

Pianist Max Levinson is known for his fearless technique, intelligence, and sensitivity. A First Prize winner at the Dublin International Piano Competition, he has performed as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Boston Pops. His recital venues have included New York’s Alice Tully Hall, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. An Artist-Member of the Boston Chamber Music Society, Mr. Levinson has collaborated with the Tokyo, Vermeer, Mendelssohn, Borromeo, Muir, and Ulysses Quartets. He is a graduate of Harvard and New England Conservatory, and he serves on the faculties of Boston Conservatory and New England Conservatory.

Romanian violinist Irina Muresanu is known for elegant and passionate performances that stretch the boundaries of classical music. A sought-after soloist and chamber musician who has appeared throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and South Africa, Ms. Muresanu is a compelling interpreter of contemporary music. As a faculty member of the University of Maryland, she has documented worldwide variations in violin technique, and she is engaged in development of AI technology for use in violin instruction. Ms. Muresanu earned the Artist Diploma and Doctor in Musical Arts degrees from the New England Conservatory. She plays an 1849 Giuseppe Rocca violin with an Étienne Pajeot bow.

Needham Concert Society artistic director Ronald Lowry—praised in the Boston Globe for “superb” musicianship—is principal cellist of the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra and the Boston Ballet Orchestra. He performs frequently with the Boston Symphony, both at home and on international tours. He has presented solo recitals at Jordan Hall and at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and he has been a guest artist with the Boston Chamber Music Society, the New England Conservatory First Mondays concert series, and the Muir String Quartet. Mr. Lowry teaches at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and the Rivers School Conservatory.