Born in Brooklyn, Robert Levin stayed a year in Paris when he was twelve to study piano and composition with Nadia Boulanger; by the age of 25 he was appointed professor at the State University of New York, and is now a Professor Emeritus of Harvard University. Ruhr Piano Festival audiences have grown to love him not only as a pianist, but also as an articulate, compelling lecturer on music history. Seldom does one find piano skill so brilliantly combined with sheer eloquence as in Robert Levin. In concerts, lectures, and masterclasses totaling eighteen appearances at the Ruhr Piano Festival, he has helped us gain a better understanding of the music of Mozart, Liszt, Schubert, Mendelssohn, and Gershwin, often revealing fascinating connections between those composers’ lives and their works. In the company of Taiwan-born pianist Ya-Fei Chuang (who appears for the 12th time at the Festival), Levin will play Mozart’s Allegro and Andante in G major KV 357 for four hands. Then his partner will present enthralling opera paraphrases by Franz Liszt. Robert Levin adds a contemporary touch with Hans Peter Türk’s work “Träume”, dedicated to him. We can look forward to a stunning, highly varied recital evening!