Harold Levin pursues a creative career that intersects the worlds of performance, conducting, teaching, and composition.  After important formative training with Farrell Reese, Donald Valentine, Roland Vamos, and David Holland, he received degrees in viola performance - a Bachelor of Science from Ball State University, Master of Music from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and DMA from Rutgers University.  His teachers included Robert Slaughter, Raymond Stilwell, Donald McInnes, and Michael Tree. Additionally, he studied composition with Ernesto Pellegrini, Joel Hoffman, and Charles Wuorinen, and received chamber music coaching from members of both the LaSalle and Guarneri Quartets.

After four seasons as a violist in the Louisville Orchestra, Dr. Levin was appointed to viola and conducting positions at the University of Nebraska, University of Memphis, Western Illinois University, and Ball State University.  One-year appointments include Bucknell, West Virginia, and Marywood Universities.  Simultaneously with his teaching positions, he has held the principal chairs in the Lincoln Symphony, Nebraska Chamber Orchestra, Princeton Symphony, Muncie Symphony, and Orchestra of Northern New York.  He has also appeared with the orchestras of Cincinnati, Omaha, Memphis, Long Island, Orlando, Jacksonville, Monterey, and Berkeley. His former students hold orchestra, college, and public school positions across the country.

Dr. Levin’s summer festival history includes the National Repertory Orchestra, Lake Placid Sinfonietta, Breckenridge Institute, Bay View, Bedford Springs, Tennessee Governor’s School, Crane Youth Music, Rutgers Summerfest, Cape Cod Chamber Music, Interlochen, Plymouth Chamber Music, and Cabrillo.

A dedicated teacher of young musicians, he has served as Music Director of youth orchestras in Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Florida. While conductor of the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, he held a staff conducting position with the Orlando Philharmonic, where he conducted over 40 Children’s Concerts, Pops, and on the Orchestra’s FOCUS Series.

Harold Levin is a commissioned and published composer, whose music is represented by Jomar Press.  His works for voice, chamber ensembles, band, and orchestra, have been performed across the country and in Europe.  Additionally, his Clarinet Quartet, Alto Saxophone Sonata, Saxophone Quartet, and Five Pieces for Clarinet, Viola, and Trumpet, have all been recorded commercially.  As both violist and conductor, he has commissioned and premiered many works for solo viola, chamber ensembles, and orchestra.

For two weeks each summer, he teaches, performs, and conducts at the Blue Mountain Festival. 

Contact Dr. Levin: haroldplevin@gmail.com

HAROLD LEVIN