Levi Hammer

Conductor, Pianist, Musical Thinker

About

 
 
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Known for his remarkable range and versatility, American conductor Levi Hammer appears regularly as symphonic and operatic conductor, concerto soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and art song collaborator. In his current season he performs across Europe and America, leading the Barrie Kosky production of Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera) at the Berliner Ensemble, and conducting orchestras including a debut with the Athens State Orchestra. Additionally he will work as assistant conductor for productions of Das Rheingold at the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Die Walküre and Götterdämmerung at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Wozzeck at the Aix-en-Provence Festival. He will also perform “Gershwin in Vienna,” a solo piano program exploring the relationship between George Gershwin and the composers of the Second Viennese School.

 

News

 
Photo: Marco Borggreve

Photo: Marco Borggreve

Equilibrium Artists

Levi joined Barbara Hannigan’s Equilibrium initiative, collaborating with Barbara and Equilibrium colleagues on projects in Paris, Munich and Stockholm. Read more

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Universal Edition

With the support of the Schoenberg family, Universal Edition has published Levi’s chamber orchestra arrangement of Arnold Schoenberg’s lusciously romantic, Pelleas und Melisande, Op. 5.

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DMA

Levi has completed the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in orchestral conducting at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.

 

“I met Levi Hammer when he served as assistant conductor for three operas at the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has demonstrated his extensive experience with challenging repertoire, and I’ve relied on his expertise in Wagner and preparing large, complex productions. Levi is an outstanding conductor, a musician of depth and sophistication, and a pleasure to work with.”

Gustavo Dudamel

 

“Conductor/pianist Levi Hammer has proven a wonderful colleague. He has been an invaluable assistant conductor and generous colleague to me. An intelligent and articulate speaker, he is a thoughtful musician: generous, full of curiosity and boundless discipline for hard work and continued immersion into the scores. He is especially sensitive and helpful to singers, knows and loves the vocal repertoire (lieder and opera), while his orchestral background and knowledge is extensive and impressive.“

Barbara Hannigan

“I have known Levi Hammer as a very worthy young conductor. His natural conducting talent I watched develop and strengthen in the repertoire assigned to him. I feel certain he will enjoy and merit a fine career.”

Lorin Maazel

 

Upcoming

 

June 17- July 14, 2024

Peter Maxwell Davies: Eight Songs for a Mad King

György Kurtág: Kafka-Fragmente

Levi Hammer, musical assistance

Barrie Kosky, stage director

Pierre Bleuse, conductor

Johannes Martin Kränzle, Baritone

Anna Prohaska, Soprano

Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Violin

Ensemble Intercontemporain

Festival d'Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence, France

September 15-20, 2024

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Barbara Hannigan, conductor

Levi Hammer, assistant conductor

IVES: From the Steeples and the Mountains
COPLAND: Quiet City
IVES: Three Places in New England
BARBER: Knoxville: Summer of 1915
GERSHWIN: Porgy and Bess - Symphonic Picture (arr. Bennett)

with Sofie Asplund, soprano

Göteborgs Konserthus

(Gothenburg, Sweden)

September 22, 2024

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Chamber Music Concert with musicians of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Levi Hammer, conductor (Berg)

Barbara Hannigan, soprano

SCHÖNBERG: Chamber Symphony no 1 (arr. Webern)
BERG: Sieben frühe Lieder (arr. de Leeuw)
FAURÉ: String Quartet
CHAUSSON: Chanson perpétuelle

Göteborgs Konserthus

(Gothenburg, Sweden)

 

September 23-29, 2024

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra

Barbara Hannigan, conductor

Levi Hammer, assistant conductor

BARBER: Mutations from Bach
BERG: Violin Concerto
MOZART: Requiem

with Veronika Eberle, violin

Karolina Bengtsson, soprano

Tuuri Dede, mezzo soprano

James Way, tenor

Erik Rosenius, bass, soprano

Göteborgs Konserthus

(Gothenburg, Sweden)

October 18, 2024

L’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève

Levi Hammer, preparatory conductor

Pierre Bleuse, conductor

Léo Albisetti: "Nouvel Elan"

Caio de Azevedo: "Marionnette"

Sang-Min Ryu: "The past recaptured"

Conducting preparatory orchestral rehearsals for the 78th Concours de Genève

Victoria Hall

(Geneva, Switzerland)

October 19-27, 2024

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra

Ryan Wigglesworth, conductor

Pierre Audi, stage director, creative partner

Levi Hammer, assistant conductor

SCHOENBERG:

Begleitungsmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene, Op. 34

Erwartung, Op. 17

Pelleas und Melisande, Op. 5

with Sara Jakubiak, soprano

Het Concertgebouw, Amsterdam

(Amsterdam, Holland)

 

November 3, 2024

Chamber Music

with musicians of the Hessisches Staatsorchester Wiesbaden

Schumann: Märchenerzählungen, Op. 132

Mozart: Kegelstatt Trio, K. 498

Brahms: Clarinet Trio, Op. 114

Levi Hammer, piano

Adrian Krämer, clarinet

Wolfgang Grabner, viola

Konstantin Pointner, cello

Foyer Grosses Haus - Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden

(Wiesbaden, Germany)

November 8, 10, 2024

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

Richard Strauss: “Der Bürger als Edelmann” (“Le bourgeois gentilhomme”), Op. 60

Levi Hammer, piano

Ivan Fischer, conductor

Konzerthausorchester Berlin

November 16, 17, 2024

Weill/Brecht: Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera)

Levi Hammer, conductor

Barrie Kosky, stage director

With Nico Holonics, Gabriel Schneider, Cynthia Micas, Tilo Nest, Constanze Becker, Pauline Knof, Kathrin Wehlisch, Laura Balzer, Bettina Hoppe, Sonja Beißwenger, Amelie Willberg, et al.

Berliner Ensemble

 

December 2-8, 2024

Los Angeles Philharmonic

Zubin Mehta, conductor

Levi Hammer, assistant conductor

BRAHMS:

Violin Concerto, Op. 77

Symphony No. 2, Op. 73

Walt Disney Concert Hall

With Leonidas Kavakos, violin

Los Angeles Philharmonic

December 9-15, 2024

Los Angeles Philharmonic

Zubin Mehta, conductor

Levi Hammer, assistant conductor

Schoenberg: Gurrelieder

Walt Disney Concert Hall

With Christine Goerke, Violeta Urmana, Brandon Jovanovich, Gerhard Siegel, Gabriel Manro, Dietrich Henschel, Los Angeles Master Chorale

Los Angeles Philharmonic

December 23, 25, 26, 2024

Weill/Brecht: Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera)

Levi Hammer, conductor

Barrie Kosky, stage director

With Nico Holonics, Gabriel Schneider, Cynthia Micas, Tilo Nest, Constanze Becker, Pauline Knof, Kathrin Wehlisch, Laura Balzer, Bettina Hoppe, Sonja Beißwenger, Amelie Willberg, et al.

Berliner Ensemble

 
 

Media

 
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Instagram

I’d long wanted to play the piano part in “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” (“Der Bürger als Edelmann“ in German) of Richard Strauss. It’s a piece cherished by conductors and has one of the two hardest piano parts in
It’s rare that I get to dig into chamber music these days, but it felt like a homecoming to play Mozart, Schumann and Brahms with dear colleagues at the @staatstheater.wiesbaden. 📷 @ligumk
It was a joy to join the Concertgebouw Orchestra in this all-Schoenberg program and to assist conductor Ryan Wigglesworth, a masterful musician devoted to our craft. Schoenberg’s “Pelleas” is close to my heart, and “Erwartung&
What a pleasure to conduct @lorchestredechambredegeneve for my dear colleague @pierrebleuse. I assisted Pierre with the @ensemble.intercontemporain over the summer at the @festivalaix, and I deeply admire his virtuosity and boundless joy in music-mak
And the Swedish sun blessed us with a stunning Indian Summer!
I’ve had the privilege of being in @hannigan.barbara’s orbit since our production of “A Rake’s Progress” that kicked off her @eqyoungartists initiative. For those of us she has embraced, she’s our mentor, our big s
Today marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great Austrian turned American composer Arnold Schoenberg. Schoenberg’s legacy has been central to my artistic and professional life, and I’m honored to be included on the Artistic Hon
Happy Easter 2024!
The American premiere of my arrangement of Arnold Schoenberg’s Pelleas und Melisande, op. 5 Huge gratitude to the passionate musicians of @concertnova for playing their hearts out.
I count myself a very lucky musician as I depart Cincinnati and travel back to Europe. The brilliant artists of concert:nova generously hosted me for a weeklong residency: an all-Schoenberg program featuring early romantic songs, the late searing Str
Also while in Los Angeles, I played my piano program “Gershwin in Vienna: Gershwin and the Second Viennese School” for the first time in the 2024 Arnold Schoenberg Sesquicentennial. And it was an exceptional honor to play Schoenberg&rsquo
It was a great joy to once again serve as assistant conductor for a Wagner opera with the @laphil. Our “Rheingold” production was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of @frankgehry_official’s @waltdisneyconcerthall, and it was Gehry
@uclaalpert @ucla @uclamaje @arnoldschoenbergcenter

 Writings

 

Contact

 

Management team:

Artistic Advisor: Craig Urquhart

The Craig Urquhart Office

e-mail: thecraigurquhartoffice@gmail.com

phone: +49 177 197 1669

 

Please use this form to contact Levi directly.