Monthly Archives: March 2015

In this Faces of Levitt video, longtime Bethlehem resident and Levitt SteelStacks volunteer Jeff Brodhead shares how going to free Levitt concerts and witnessing the revitalization of Bethlehem’s south side inspired him to get involved. “The music here is just wonderful,” says Brodhead. “Once you come here once, you’re coming back again.”

Be sure to thank your local Levitt volunteers this concert season, which starts in just a few months! And if you’re interested in volunteering with your local Levitt venue, each Friends of Levitt nonprofit has opportunities available during both the concert season and throughout the year. Click here to find out more!

The wait is finally over! We’re thrilled to announce the tour dates for the 2015 Levitt National Tour, featuring the one and only Black Violin!

tour date graphic_no dates
Continue reading

BachinOurSubways2015 You’ve probably heard the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) sometime in your life—on the radio, at the grocery store, in the background of a TV show. But have you heard it in the subways?

Tomorrow is Bach in the Subways Day (BITSD), a celebration of Bach on the 330th anniversary of his birth. Musicians everywhere will be filling not just subways but all kinds of public spaces, including several near Levitt venues, with free, live performances of his music, increasing classical music’s accessibility to the public. Continue reading

kid playing music
What do creativity, collaboration and improved academic performance all have in common?
They’re all benefits enjoyed by children who study music. Continue reading

We all know that music brings people together—just head to any Levitt venue during concert season and you’ll see people of all ages and backgrounds dancing, picnicking and enjoying free, live music under the stars.

But what happens when music pushes people apart?

That’s what Johnathan Chen, founder and CEO of nonprofit record label OneReasonRecordings, experienced when he moved from Texas to New York City in 2012. Although he saw homeless people nearly everywhere he went (there are over 60,000 in the city), he noticed that few passerby ever reached out to those most in need. Since many of these commuters were wearing headphones, Chen assumed music was making social issues easier to ignore.

Inspired, Chen, then a freshman at NYU, founded OneReasonRecordings (ORR), with the mission to promote music as a tool to combat social problems. Continue reading

Determined Divas_1

What better way to celebrate Women’s History Month than to spotlight a group of determined female musicians who’ve pioneered their way into music history?

Here we celebrate one of the 15 talented members of Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea, the all-female, two-time GRAMMY-winning mariachi group. Dedicating their lives to a genre that has traditionally been dominated by men, Cindy Shea and the ladies of Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea have challenged gender stereotypes, creating some incredible music in the process. In 2009, the group became the first all-female mariachi group to earn a GRAMMY nomination and win. They’ve since been nominated five times and took home a second GRAMMY Award for Best Regional Mexican Music in 2013—an award which marked the first time any mariachi group (male or female) had received two GRAMMY awards.

Be sure to check out their recent album, 15 Aniversario, which celebrates 15 years of making music with one another. We can’t wait to see what these determined divas are up to next!

Past Levitt performances:
Levitt Los Angeles (2014, 2007)
Levitt Pasadena (2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006)

Ever found yourself on a beautiful grassy hill with the urge to throw your hands into the air and belt out, “The hills are alive…with the sound of music?” As music lovers—who happen to be particularly fond of filling beautiful green open spaces with melodious sounds—we’ve experienced this feeling many times.

50 years ago today—March 2, 1965—the one and only Julie Andrews sang her way into people’s hearts across the nation with the U.S. premiere of the Academy Award-winning film, The Sound of Music. Continue reading