The University of Louisville School of Music is giving listeners the chance to hear works of some of the world’s best composers while helping fund Louisville’s next generation of great musicians.
The Music eX Series, which began September 20, features four classical concerts that celebrate piano and strings music. Dror Biran, a UofL piano professor and artistic director will perform in all of them. Biran founded the series in 2011 to raise money for scholarships for music students. All funds from ticket sales go to the scholarship fund.
A major highlight for the series, which features a mix of esteemed guest artists and UofL faculty, is a concert by Lee Luvisi and Dror Biran on Sunday, October 18. Luvisi, a world-renowned pianist and Louisville native, has played at Carnegie Hall and performed with respected musicians and orchestras of the 20th and 21st centuries. He retired from a four-decade career as a piano professor at UofL and infrequently plays publicly, so the October appearance has been called a special treat by organizers.
“Luvisi is the perfect example of what we’re trying to perpetuate with the scholarship fund,” Biran said. “He is from Louisville, he came back here and helped establish several new generations of musicians. We want to support and nurture musicians who will become the future musical life blood of our community.”
Luvisi had many students in Louisville, nurturing many generations of teachers and students. “I’m still enjoying the fruits of those students,” Biran added, “because they are sending me students today.”
The remaining two concerts are March 6, featuring Brittany MacWilliams on violin, and Biran on piano; and April 3, featuring Patrick Rafferty and MacWilliams on violins; Paul York on cello and Biran on piano.
Biran believes the Jewish community should attend because of its strong focus on education. “If there were Olympics in music,” he said, “the Jewish people would have taken first place. … This series will support the next generation of musicians. That is the core mission of this series to reate enough scholarship money that Louisville’s talent will continue to thrive.”
Born in Israel, Biran came to Louisville as a graduate student and chose to remain. He is a top prize winner of serveral national and international piano competitions. He is a graduate of the Givataim Conservatory and the Rubin Academy of Music at Tel Aviv University. He received his doctorate from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
All shows begin at 3 p.m. at Comstock Concert Hall in the School of Music at the corner of First Street and Cardinal Boulevard. A season subscription to all four shows is $50. Individual concerts are $15, with a student ticket rate of $5. Tickets are available by calling 502-852-6907. For more information, visit Louisville.edu/music/music-ex-series.
