Eugene Levinson enjoys a unique career as a world-class soloist and as Principal Bass of the New York Philharmonic since May 1985, in addition to being one of the foremost and world-renowned double bass teachers.
Mr. Levinson was born in Kiev and began his musical studies at the age of nine. He graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory, where he later received his doctoral degree and was, at the age of 29, the youngest member to be appointed to this illustrious institution's faculty. For 13 years, Mr. Levinson was the principal bass of the Leningrad Chamber Orchestra and a member of the Leningrad Philharmonic for nearly 16years. During this period, he made many solo and ensemble appearances on U.S.S.R. radio and television, in addition to releasing three recordings on the Melodiya Records label.
In 1977 Eugene Levinson became the principal bass of the Minnesota Orchestra as well as a featured soloist. He released his first U.S. recording under the Pro Arte label, featuring the Franck Sonata in A major and works by Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, and Tchaikovsky. Each of these compositions was transcribed and edited by Mr. Levinson for the bass and recorded with his wife, the pianist Gina Levinson. These recordings sold out in record time, especially in Asia, where they are expected to be re-released. In June 1996 Eugene Levinson released New York Legends under the Cala Records label.
Many of Mr. Levinson’s students have achieved positions as members of prestigious orchestras throughout the world, and some have been named principals. Mr. Levinson is often asked to participate in double bass forums in the U.S. and in Europe, and has led numerous master classes and orchestral playing workshops. In March 2007 he gave a series of master classes at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Italy, attracting students from all over Italy, including those who were participating in the Orchestra Giovanile and members of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Orchestra. Portions of these classes will soon be available for viewing on www.xbass.org.
He has given other master classes at the Toho School of Music in Tokyo, Japan; the Hague State Conservatory in the Netherlands (1995); and at the Conservatory of Music in Lausanne, Switzerland, while the New York Philharmonic was on a European tour (1996).
In March 1997, Mr. Levinson was invited to the Reina Sofia Superior School of Music in Madrid, Spain, as a guest artist, where he gave a five-day master class. In November of 1997, he was invited as a special guest by the Danish Bass Society to celebrate its tenth anniversary where, in the course of 10 days, he gave a series of master classes, performed a recital and chamber music, and conducted an orchestra comprising 50 basses and organ.
Mr. Levinson has taught at the University of Minnesota, St. Olaf College, and the Peabody Conservatory, and has been a visiting artist at the Eastern Music Festival in Greensboro, North Carolina, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, and the Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley, California.
Since his arrival in the United States in 1977, Mr. Levinson has also been on the faculty of the Indiana University Summer School, and has been an annual faculty member of the Sarasota Music Festival and Aspen Music Festival and School since 1979. He has been a member of the bass department faculty of The Juilliard School since 1985, where he has championed a number of new works that were written for him by prominent composers associated with Juilliard. He was co-chairman of the bass department from 1992 to 2002.
Mr. Levinson has appeared frequently as soloist with the New York Philharmonic since joining the Orchestra in 1985. In 1986 he performed Koussevitzky’s Bass Concerto under the direction of Zubin Mehta; the work was subsequently recorded with other compositions performed by the New York Philharmonic’s principal players. In November 1996 Mr. Levinson performed the New York Philharmonic premiere of Eduard Tubin’s Bass Concerto, under the direction of Kurt Masur. And in January 2004 he performed the bass obbligato part in the New York Philharmonic premiere of Mozart’s Bass Concert Aria, “Per questa bella mano,” K.612, with bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff, conducted by Riccardo Muti. The concert was broadcast on
Live From Lincoln Center, broadcast on PBS.
Eugene Levinson has had three of his transcriptions published: The Franck Sonata by Medici, The Misek Sonata, and J.C. Bach’s
Adagio by International. In 2002, he wrote a new technical method book entitled
School of Agility, released by Carl Fischer, which describes his innovative and effective method of bass playing. Carl Fischer Music has released his two-CD set,
The Art of Eugene Levinson, of music never before available on CD.
In 2003 Mr. Levinson was honored with the distinguished Special Recognition Award in Orchestral Performance from the International Society of Bassists for his “extraordinary skills and contribution to the worldwide community of bassists.”
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In September 2009 Alan Gilbert began his tenure as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, the first native New Yorker to hold the post. 
Solo piccolo and flutist Mindy Kaufman joined the New York Philharmonic in 1979 at the age of 22. She received a bachelor of music degree from the Eastman School of Music, and at the age of 19 won her first audition — as second flute with the Rochester Philharmonic. She also performed as acting principal flute with the Milwaukee Symphony, during which time she recorded works by Dvořák and Kodály. Ms. Kaufman has appeared as a piccolo soloist with the New York Philharmonic under the direction of then-Music Directors Zubin Mehta and Kurt Masur. She performs chamber music regularly with her colleagues in the Philharmonic Ensembles and has performed at summer festivals including the Mt. Desert Festival of Chamber Music and the Grand Teton Music Festival. Ms. Kaufman can be heard on dozens of film sound tracks, including The Cotton Club, The Untouchables, Cape Fear, Aladdin, The Alamo, Hitch, and The Last Holiday. She also played with The Four Tops on CBS’s The Late Show with David Letterman.
Liang Wang joined the Philharmonic as Principal Oboe in September 2006; in February 2008 he performed Richard Strauss’s Oboe Concerto with the Orchestra in Hong Kong. Previously he was principal oboe of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, and San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and was guest principal oboe at the Chicago and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras. Born in Qing Dao, China, he studied at the Beijing
Central Conservatory and at California’s Idyllwild Arts Academy. He received his bachelor’s degree from Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Richard Woodhams, and was a fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival and School and at the Music Academy of the West. He has won awards at the Spotlight Competition of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Pasadena Instrumental, Fernard Gillet International Oboe, and Tilden Prize competitions, and he has twice received the Los Angeles Philharmonic Fellowship. He has performed chamber music at the Santa Fe and Angel Fire Festivals; given master classes at the Cincinnati Conservatory; was on the oboe faculty of the University of California–Berkeley; and is currently on the faculties of the Manhattan School of Music and New York University.
Pascual Martinez Forteza joined the New York Philharmonic as Second Clarinet in May 2001 after a tenure with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where he had been Second Clarinet since 1998. From 1999-2000, he also served as that orchestra’s Acting Associate Principal Clarinet. Prior to his appointment in Cincinnati, Mr. Martinez Forteza was Assistant Principal Clarinet of the Symphony Orchestra of Baleares, Spain, from 1991-1998. He also performed with Madrid’s National Orchestra of Spain from 1993-1995.
Judith LeClair joined the Philharmonic as Principal Bassoon (The Pels Family Chair) in 1981, at the age of 23, and has since made more than 50 solo appearances with the Orchestra. Previously she was principal bassoon with the San Diego Symphony and San Diego Opera. She has participated in the Music from Angel Fire, Bridgehampton, Bay Chamber, and Aspen music festivals, and she performs as a member of the Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet of New York. Ms. LeClair has given solo recitals and master classes at the Eastman School of Music, Oberlin College, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Northwestern, Michigan, and Ohio universities. Every August she gives a solo recital and weeklong master class at the Hidden Valley Music Seminar in Carmel Valley, California. In April 1995 she premiered The Five Sacred Trees, a concerto written for her by John Williams and commissioned by the Philharmonic as part of its 150th Anniversary celebration. Her recording of the piece with the London Symphony Orchestra and her solo New York Legends CD for Cala Records were released in 1997. Ms LeClair is on the faculty of The Juilliard School.
Philip Myers joined the Philharmonic as Principal French Horn (The Ruth F. and Alan J. Broder Chair) in January 1980, and made his solo debut with the Orchestra that month in the premiere of William Schuman’s Three Colloquies for French Horn and Orchestra. He has since appeared as a Philharmonic soloist often, most recently performing Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 2, conducted by Lorin Maazel, in New York in January 2008 and again in February 2008 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and Shanghai, China. Mr. Myers began his orchestral career in 1971 with a three-year term as principal horn of the Atlantic Symphony in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He was third horn with the Pittsburgh Symphony from 1974 until 1977. As principal horn of the Minnesota Orchestra for a season and a half, he made a solo debut with that ensemble in 1979, performing Richard Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 1, Sir Neville Marriner conducting. A native of Elkhart, Indiana, Mr. Myers holds two degrees from Carnegie–Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He plays Engelbert Schmid French horns.
Philip Smith joined the New York Philharmonic as Co-Principal Trumpet in 1978, becoming Principal Trumpet (The Paula Levin Chair) in 1988. His early training was provided at The Salvation Army and by his father, Derek Smith. He is a graduate of The Juilliard School; while still a student he was appointed to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Smith appears regularly as soloist, recitalist, chamber performer, clinician, and recording artist. He has been featured as a soloist with the Philharmonic almost 100 times, either in New York or on tour, under conductors such as Bernstein, Neeme Järvi, Leinsdorf, Kurt Masur, and Zubin Mehta; his most recent solo appearance was in April 2006 in the New York premiere of Ellen Taaffe Zwillich’s American Concerto. In addition to solo releases on labels such as Deutsche Grammophon, Cala, Summit, New World, and Arabesque, Mr. Smith has recorded with the Canadian Brass, Empire Brass, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Bargemusic, and New York Virtuosi Chamber Symphony.
Joseph Alessi was appointed Principal Trombone of the New York Philharmonic in the spring of 1985. He began musical studies in his native California with his father, Joseph Alessi, Sr. As a high school student in San Rafael, California, and was a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony before continuing his musical training at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music. Prior to joining the Philharmonic, Mr. Alessi was second trombone of The Philadelphia Orchestra for four seasons, and principal trombone of L’Orchestre symphonique de Montreal for one season. In addition, he has performed as guest principal trombonist with the London Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall led by Pierre Boulez. 
