Violinist Amadeus Leopold Makes Houston Debut Tonight

Violinist Amadéus Leopold will make his Houston debut tonight, Jan. 23, 2015, at 8 p.m. in the Wortham Center's Cullen Theater, presented by Society for the Performing Arts.

The performance artist, classical violinist and boundary pusher, previously known as Hahn-Bin, made his international debut as a concert violinist at age 12. Now known as Amadéus Leopold, he is a head-turning musician who harnesses performance art, technical prowess, powerful emotion and dynamic staging to transport classical music into pop culture.

Amadéus Leopold will be joined on stage by pianist John Blacklow for a two-act program titled Edward Violinhands, featuring such pieces as Dance of Death, After a Dream, Balada, Romanian Folk Dances, Csárdás,Grey Clouds, Orientale, Sabre Dance, A Transylvanian Lullaby, the theme from Schindler's List, Carmen Fantasy and more.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, the virtuosic and stylish performer changed his American name to Amadéus Leopold as homage to two of his musical heroes: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and renowned violinist Leopold Auer. The Juilliard graduate and Itzhak Perlman protégé is known for his incredible skill and eccentric appearance. Leopold made his Carnegie Hall debut in October 2009, months after an early graduation from The Juilliard School. Leopold's performances are noted for their unconventional presentation of juxtaposed classical and postmodern music.

In March 2011, Leopold - who made his international debut at the Grammy Awards at just 12 years of age eliciting a standing ovation from the legendary Isaac Stern - became the first solo classical musician to hold a series of performances at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) with his Soliloquy for Andy Warhol.

As a soloist, Steinway artist John Blacklow has performed in some of the most renowned venues all over the world including Alice Tully Hall and Merkin Hall in New York,

Wigmore Hall in London, Musikverein in Vienna and the Royal Conservatoire in Brussels, among others.

Blacklow has performed in several capacities with the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As keyboardist, he worked under such conductors as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Pierre Boulez, Leonard Slatkin, John Adams and Marin Alsop, and performed in the world premiere of Soundings by John Williams at the gala opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Blacklow has also participated on numerous occasions with the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Chamber Music Society, on the Green Umbrella New Music Series, and appears on the orchestra's Deutsche Grammophon/iTunes recordings. In spring of 2014, he was invited to perform in the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Minimalist Jukebox festival at Disney Hall, including the west coast premiere of Louis Andriessen's De Materie.

Part of SPA's New Now series, this performance is generously sponsored by CB&I, JW Marriott Houston Downtown, H-E-B, Reliant Energy and United Airlines.

Tickets range from $30-$80 and can be purchased online at www.spahouston.org, by phone at 713-227-4772 or at the courtyard level ticket office at Jones Hall located at 615

Louisiana St. Hours of operation: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. For groups of 15 or more call 713-632-8113.

About Society for the Performing Arts

Founded in 1966, Society for the Performing Arts (SPA) is the largest independent non-profit presenting organization in the Southwest. Since its inception, SPA has sponsored more than 1,000 performances of the world's finest music, dance and theater events, in adherence to the belief that the arts are fundamental to the overall enrichment and quality of life within the community. In addition to presenting artists, SPA seeks to provide a variety of learning experiences for adults and children through master classes, lectures and special student performances, as well as build relationships between the performing arts and other interests within the greater Houston area and throughout the state of Texas.

Photo Credit: Paul Maffi