{"id":14790,"date":"2012-06-12T09:17:11","date_gmt":"2012-06-12T14:17:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=14790"},"modified":"2014-09-23T08:32:25","modified_gmt":"2014-09-23T13:32:25","slug":"bruce-levingston-aims-to-use-new-post-to-raise-universitys-profile-in-the-arts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/bruce-levingston-aims-to-use-new-post-to-raise-universitys-profile-in-the-arts\/","title":{"rendered":"Bruce Levingston Aims to Use New Post to Raise University\u2019s Profile in the Arts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Bruce<\/a>

Bruce Levingston discusses his music during a 2011 performance at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Levingston has been appointed as special adviser on the arts to University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones. UM photo by Nathan Latil.<\/p><\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 Oxford has been called the \u201cNew South Arts Mecca,\u201d and the University of Mississippi is taking steps to build on that reputation and ensure support for the arts in the future by gaining the expertise of an internationally recognized pianist.<\/p>\n

Bruce Levingston, one of the country\u2019s leading figures in contemporary music, has been appointed special adviser on the arts to the chancellor, effective July 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am pleased that Bruce Levingston will be playing a part in developing and supporting the arts at the University of Mississippi,\u201d said Chancellor Dan Jones. \u201cHe has played an important role in the past few years connecting donors and young artists, and that\u2019s part of what is strongly appealing to me about his background and his interests.\u201d<\/p>\n

Noted for his innovative and thoughtful programming, Levingston has performed and collaborated with many interesting artists, including painter Chuck Close, actor-author Ethan Hawke, artist-curator Robert Storr, authors Michael Cunningham, Nick McDonell and George Plimpton, composer-performers Lisa Bielawa and Philip Glass, Colin and Eric Jacobsen and the Brooklyn Rider, and choreographers Jorma Elo and Peter Quanz. His repertoire spans from the Baroque works of Bach and Scarlatti to the Classical and Romantic masterpieces of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms to the most avant-garde works of today.Levingston said he will continue to try to bring interesting, creative people in the arts to the Ole Miss campus, as well as to help raise awareness of the deep well of literary, visual and performing artists that makes up such a vital part of the university\u2019s academic, cultural and campus life.<\/p>\n

\u201cA goal is to continue to bring talented people to Mississippi and show other people in the world what amazing things we have at the University of Mississippi,\u201d said Levingston, who has performed at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts in February 2012 and at Nutt Auditorium in January 2011. \u201cThen they will be able to tell the rest of the world about this wonderful place. I\u2019ve had many friends come here from other places and say how impressed they are with the beauty and depth of Ole Miss.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany people know this already and have great respect for it, but it is important for even more people to know this, and part of my role will be to build support and goodwill for the arts at this great university and in our state.\u201d<\/p>\n

The other part of his role will be to help raise funds for the arts at the university. His responsibilities will include helping to identify donors and cultivate relationships with them, and helping fund an artist-in-residence or perhaps other visiting professor positions in the humanities and the arts.<\/p>\n

Since UM has other successful \u201cin-residence\u201d programs, the most notable being the Grisham Writer-in-Residence, the chancellor wanted to expand on the \u201cin residence\u201d concept.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is important to have people who can come through and influence in a positive way, which gives a sense of value to the university,\u201d Jones said. \u201cOne of my interests is to have endowed funds for a number of these \u2018in residence\u2019 positions across the breadth of the university.\u201d<\/p>\n

Levingston said he is excited because, as a native Mississippian who loves Oxford, he has been able to reconnect with his friends and family.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is such a beautiful and special place,\u201d Levingston said. \u201cI have many friends here and plan to spend as much time as possible when I am not playing concerts in New York or elsewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

As founding chair and artistic director of Premiere Commission Inc., a nonprofit foundation that has commissioned and premiered more than 40 new works, Levingston facilitates support of young artists and young composers. Many of the world\u2019s most important composers have written works for him, and his Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center world premiere performances of their works have won notable critical acclaim.<\/p>\n

The New York Times has called him \u201cone of today\u2019s most adventurous musicians\u201d and praises his performances as \u201cgraceful,\u201d \u201cdreamy\u201d and \u201chauntingly serene.\u201d The New Yorker has described him as \u201celegant and engaging … a poetic pianist who has a gift for glamorous programming,\u201d while The Washington Post has lauded his \u201cwonderfully even touch\u201d and \u201ctimeless reverie, which Levingston projected beautifully.\u201d<\/p>\n

Levingston has appeared as a soloist and chamber musician in many international music festivals and his recordings have received critical acclaim. Levingston\u2019s CD \u201cHeart Shadow\u201d was named Album of the Week by New York City’s WQXR. In its review of Levingston\u2019s recent album, \u201cNightbreak,\u201d the American Record Guide called him \u201ca pianist\u2019s pianist\u201d and praised his \u201cstunning and illuminating performances.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had the opportunity to make my living as a pianist and meet and work with some very interesting people,\u201d Levingston said. \u201cNow I\u2019d like to bring some of them back to Mississippi and share this special place with them and show them what shaped my life and made it possible for me to have a life in the arts. Hopefully, I will be able to give back the same opportunity to another young and upcoming person for their career.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 Oxford has been called the \u201cNew South Arts Mecca,\u201d and the University of Mississippi is taking steps to build on that reputation and ensure support for the arts in the future by gaining the expertise of an internationally recognized pianist. Bruce Levingston, one of the country\u2019s leading figures in contemporary music, hasRead the story …<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,199],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nBruce Levingston Aims to Use New Post to Raise University\u2019s Profile in the Arts - Ole Miss News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/bruce-levingston-aims-to-use-new-post-to-raise-universitys-profile-in-the-arts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bruce Levingston Aims to Use New Post to Raise University\u2019s Profile in the Arts - Ole Miss News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 Oxford has been called the \u201cNew South Arts Mecca,\u201d and the University of Mississippi is taking steps to build on that reputation and ensure support for the arts in the future by gaining the expertise of an internationally recognized pianist. 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