Micah Levy, Full Biography
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Micah Levy (b. 1953, California) is an American composer, conductor, hornist. Micah Levy began his musical career at an early age, joining the horn section of the Long Beach Symphony while in high school. As a freelance hornist in Los Angeles, he was the recipient of the Los Angeles Horn Club Competition, a member of Pentabrass quintet, performed as a soloist with the Burbank and Brentwood-Westwood Symphony, and began his teaching career as horn instructor at Pepperdine University (1975-77).
He was music director and conductor of the Orange County Chamber Orchestra for 11 seasons (1983-94), with guest conducting engagements in Europe and the United States. In the capacity of conductor, he became increasingly committed to the education of audiences or, in his words, being a “musical missionary.”
As a composer, he has written for band, orchestra, keyboard, choir, and various combinations of solo voices and instruments. His compositions have been performed throughout the United States by orchestras such as the Dallas, San Diego, Utah, Fort Worth and Hartford Symphonies, as well as concert bands of Michigan State University, Fort Sam’s Own Army Band, Cal State University Fullerton Wind Symphony, and the Alabama Materiel Army Band. His popular work The Probably Untrue Story of Mary (who) Had a Little Lamb for narrator and orchestra won a Parent's Choice Award and has been programmed by professional and community orchestras across the country. His work for band, Joy (Mostly!), was a prizewinner in the 2007 Frank Ticheli Composition Contest. Recent commissions include band music for Stockdale Christian School with director Gary Scudder, the Michigan State University Symphonic Band, and a tuba concerto for Patrick Rettger and a consortium of ten musicians.
An ardent educator in theory and composition, Micah Levy has held academic positions at Washington College and College of Southern Maryland, with additional presentations at Michigan State University and Brigham Young University. He studied composition with Ricardo Lorenz at Michigan State University (DMA Composition), Oscar Bettison at Peabody Conservatory (MM Composition, MM Theory Pedagogy), Judah Adashi at Peabody Preparatory, and with Paul Moravec and Christopher Theophanides at HighScore New Music Festival in Pavia, Italy. Dr. Levy also holds degrees from New England Conservatory (MM Orchestral Conducting) and California State University, Fullerton (BM Horn Performance). Levy lives with his wife in Edgewater, Maryland.