Michael Lewin

Michael Lewin is one of America's most eminent and esteemed concert pianists. A professor of piano, he joined the Conservatory in 1990, and is the founder and artistic director of the acclaimed Boston Conservatory Piano Masters Series.

A Steinway Artist, Lewin's active international career has taken him to more than 30 countries for recitals, major music festivals, PBS television broadcasts, and orchestral performances of a repertoire of 40 concertos with numerous symphony orchestras. His orchestral engagements include the Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Netherlands Philharmonic, Bucharest Philharmonic, China National Orchestra, Cairo Symphony, State Symphony of Athens, 13 concerts with the Boston Pops, and the symphonies of Phoenix, Indianapolis, Puerto Rico, Miami, Colorado, and North Carolina.

Lewin's awards include a Grammy (2014), third prize in the Franz Liszt International Competition (1986), first prize in the Kapell International Competition (1983), and the American Pianists Association Fellowship Award (1982). His Billboard classical chart-topping and award-winning discography includes 14 solo recordings for the Naxos, Centaur, and Sono Luminus labels, featuring the music of Scarlatti, Griffes, Gottschalk, Bolcom, Debussy, Liszt, and others. He is a devoted chamber musician, and many contemporary composers have written new works for him.

Critics have lauded his “immense technique and ability” (New York Times) and “dazzling music-making” (Gramophone, England), calling him “a poet and a virtuoso” (De Telegraaf, Amsterdam) with “profound understanding and a deeply heartfelt voice” (Pravda, Moscow) and applauding his “passion and precision” (Washington Post).

Lewin earned a B.M. and M.M. from the Juilliard School, with additional studies with Leon Fleisher and in France with Yvonne Lefébure. A highly sought-after teacher, he has taught many prize-winning and successful pianists, gives master classes worldwide, and is a frequent international competition judge.

Professional Awards and Recognitions

• Grammy Award (2014)
• Aaron Copland Recording Award (2010)
• Franz Liszt International Competition (1986)
• American Pianists Association Fellowship Award (1983)
• William Kapell International Piano Competition (1982)