Saturday, September 24, 2022, Grammy Award-winning multi-instrumentalist, co-founder of Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, and ArtistWorks harmonica instructor, Howard Levy, will be the featured soloist in the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra’s first concerto performance of the fall season.

The concert, aptly titled “The Amazing Howard Levy,” will feature a performance of Howard’s one-of-a-kind concerto, “Concerto for Diatonic Harmonica & Orchestra.” Led by Maestro Stephen Alltop and supported by the 77 world-class musicians of the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra, this performance is sure to be a musical evening to remember.

LEARN MORE: Want to learn how to play harmonica from a master musician like Howard Levy? Try some free online harmonica lessons now!

Unlike all other harmonica concertos, which have been composed for the chromatic harmonica, Howard wrote his concerto specifically for the diatonic harmonica. Using his revolutionary “overblowing” and “overbending” techniques, Howard transforms the diatonic harmonica into a chromatic instrument, allowing him to perform all twelve pitches of the western chromatic scale on a single diatonic harp and craft melodies to accommodate his complex composition style.

“The Concerto is the first true concerto composed for diatonic harmonica,” explains the composition notes on Howard’s website. “It is full of tuneful melodies, virtuosic solo passages, and lush string writing. It has 3 movements, an improvised cadenza, and several improvised sections, which makes each live performance unique.”

If you’re in the Elmhurst, Illinois region, we highly recommend attending tomorrow’s performance. The event begins at 7 pm CDT, and tickets can be purchased directly from the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra website here.

LEARN MORE:

Have you always wanted to learn how to play the harmonica? Through our comprehensive harmonica lessons online and Video Exchange Learning platform here at ArtistWorks, you can learn from internationally renowned players, like Howard Levy, and get personal feedback on your playing.

Howard’s course starts with the basics and teaches everything from beginner harmonica to advanced performance techniques, classic popular tunes, improvisation, music theory, and beyond. So, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, all levels are welcome and all students will grow and improve their skills as harmonica players and musicians.

Sample some free music lessons here and see what makes ArtistWorks courses some of the best online music lessons around!

READ MORE:

ArtistWorks Music Roundtable—Episode 5: Howard Levy & Victor Wooten

Harmonica Lesson: An Introduction to Bending with Howard Levy

Howard Levy Releases New Album, From the Vault, Vol. 4: Duets with Friends