One of the most versatile and charismatic violinists on the current scene, Brian Lewis is an exceptionally dedicated and gifted performer whose passionate artistry has been heard and embraced around the world. Acclaimed performances include concerto debuts in both New York’s Carnegie Hall and Avery Fisher Hall, as well as performances with the Berlin (Germany), Louisiana, Kansas City, Syracuse, Odense (Denmark), Wichita, Hartford, Eugene, Spokane, and American Symphony orchestras, among others. In Asia, Mr. Lewis has appeared as soloist with the Royal Metropolitan Orchestra in Japan, the Taejon City Symphony in Korea, and the Taipei Conductors Orchestra in Taiwan. His extensive solo recitals include performances on five continents in such countries as Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, the French West Indies, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Japan, as well as appearances on the What Makes it Great? series with narrator Robert Kapilow in Kansas City, the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York, and cities across the United States. Activities in Central and South America include a residency in San Jose for the U.S.-Costa Rican Cultural Center, recitals and master classes throughout Honduras for the United States Information Agency, as well as concerto performances with the Philharmonic of Lima in Peru. Mr. Lewis has made highly acclaimed recital debuts at both Wigmore Hall in London, and New York’s Lincoln Center on the Great Performers Series. He has recorded six CDs, most recently for Delos as soloist with the London Symphony Orchestra of concerti by American composers Leonard Bernstein and Michael McLean. Radio and television appearances include performances on WNYC, WFMT (Chicago), National Public Radio, and CBS “Sunday Morning” in a feature story on famed pedagogue Dorothy DeLay. Mr. Lewis has also performed at the Aspen Music Festival, the Sunflower Music Festival, the St. Barth’s Music Festival, The International Festival Institute at Round Top, the Casals Series, the Cape May Music Festival, the Evian Music Festival conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich, and at the Cabrillo Festival performing The Red Violin with conductor Marin Alsop for composer John Corigliano’s 60th birthday celebration.
An advocate for music education in the schools, Mr. Lewis was named National Artist of the Year by Young Audiences, Inc. for his dedication in presenting concerts, workshops, and master classes in the public schools. He was also presented the Fredell Lack Award by YAH for having performed for more than 165,000 young people in the Houston area. Mr. Lewis is Professor of Violin in the School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin where he holds the David and Mary Winton Green Chair in String Performance and Pedagogy. In 2005-06, Mr. Lewis received both the Texas Exes Teaching Award and the School of Music Teaching Excellence Award for his outstanding teaching abilities. He is also the Artistic Director of the Starling-DeLay Symposium on Violin Studies at The Juilliard School in New York City, and concertmaster of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra in Houston. At UT, Mr. Lewis is the Artistic Director of the Starling Distinguished Violinist Series, as well as a founding member of the Texas Piano Quartet.
Mr. Lewis has won numerous young artists’ competitions, including Grand Prize in the Mid-America Violin Competition. In addition to the Waldo Mayo Talent Award presented to Mr. Lewis at his Carnegie Hall debut, he holds both the Peter Mennin Prize and William Schuman Prize awarded by Juilliard for outstanding achievement and leadership in the field of music. Mr. Lewis was one of the first recipients of the Sony ES Award for Musical Excellence, and he has received two Elizabeth B. Koch Fellowships for career development from the Kansas Cultural Trust. He is also Artistic Director of the newly created Brian Lewis Young Artist Program to be held in his hometown of Ottawa, Kansas. Known for his variety in programming and ability to communicate with audiences of all ages, Mr. Lewis has performed frequently as a member of the Kansas Arts Commission Touring Program and the Mid-America Arts Alliance Regional Touring Program.
As a student of Eleanor Allen in Lawrence, Mr. Lewis began his violin studies at the age of four, and participated in the Ottawa Suzuki Strings program under the direction of his mother, Alice Joy Lewis. He later studied with Tiberius Klausner, and twice traveled to Japan where he studied with Dr. Shinichi Suzuki at the Talent Education Institute in Matsumoto. Mr. Lewis holds both the Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from The Juilliard School where he was a student of Dorothy DeLay, Masao Kawasaki, and Hyo Kang.