Ilya Levinson Music

Interviews

Reviews

Chicago Sinfonietta and Maxwell Street Klezmer Band performance of Klezmer Rhapsody and two movements from Shtetl Scenes:

"Less pretentious, and all the more enjoyable because of it, were two works by the Russian-born Chicago composer Ilya Levinson: Klezmer Rhapsody for Klezmer Band and Orchestra, and excerpts from his Shtetl Scenes. Both pieces are deeply rooted in Eastern European Yiddish folk and dance culture, the former work frisky and fun, the latter lyrical and nostalgic."

— John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune, May 13, 2014  (read the full article)

"[Levinson's] Shtetl Scenes impressed me with their originality and a unique combination of classical genre and national Jewish motives and melodies. Sometimes his music sounded thoughtful and even sad, but then it sounded impulsive and energetic. My soul was singing along with the orchestra that was performing so enthusiastically that I felt all the pain of the Jewish people."

 — Natalia Dagenheart, Naperville Patch, May 12, 2014 (read the full article)

Orion ensemble performance of Ilya's arrangement of Enesco's Romanian Rhapsody No. 1:

"An encore was required, and it was a stunning arrangement of the George Enescu Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1 by talented Chicago arranger Ilya Levinson."

— John Cutler, Lincoln Journal Star, June 14, 2014 (read the full article)

Poe’s `Tell-Tale Heart’ debut as opera:

"Composer Ilya Levinson and librettist Jon Steinhagen have stayed fairly faithful to the spirit of Poe’s work in their operatic adaptation, which was given its premiere Friday night in Columbia College’s Concert Hall by the new-music chamber ensemble CUBE. The man still confides to us agitatedly and obsessively, and Levinson’s well-crafted instrumental music embellishes and reinforces his mercurial mood while evoking a creepy, nightmarish atmosphere." 

— Ted Shen, Special to the Chicago Tribune, March 10, 2002 (read the full article)