In conversation with Ira Levin

A live conversation with pianist-conductor Ira Levin and Piano Files host Mark Ainley about multiple topics relating to musical interpretation and culture. Ira Levin is a pianist and conductor who studied piano with Jorge Bolet (he was also his assistant) and conducting with Max Rudolf, and he is currently the music director of the Theatro Municipal of Rio de Janeiro. His website is http://www.iralevin.net Mark Ainley runs the Facebook page The Piano Files with Mark Ainley as well as its related website www.thepianofiles.com and this YouTube channel. Beginning his research into unpublished recordings of Dinu Lipatti in his late teens, he has over the years added over 3 hours to the pianist's commercial discography, in addition to publicizing lesser-known pianists such as Marcelle Meyer (whose playing he introduced to Harold C Schonberg, who had never heard of her) and Jascha Spivakovsky. For the last several years, Mark and Ira have had long conversations about the art of interpretation, discussing in detail the great pianists and other musicians that both admire and what it is about their playing that makes it so mesmerizing. After a long phone discussion a few weeks ago, it was decided to have a public conversation about truly important topics in the classical music world that are not explored frequently enough. In this first wide-ranging conversation streamed live on Facebook on May 10, 2020, Levin and Ainley discuss some of the elements that great musicians - not just pianists but conductors, violinists, and others (you'll be interested to hear which instrumentalist most influenced Jorge Bolet) - bring to their craft. If you wish to support The Piano Files, please consider membership at my Patreon page:   / thepianofiles