Bruce Levingston to help advise University of Mississippi Arts | Arts & Culture

OXFORD, Miss. – Oxford has been called the “New South Arts Mecca,” and the University of Mississippi is taking steps to build on that reputation and ensure support for the arts in the future by gaining the expertise of an internationally recognized pianist.

Bruce Levingston, one of the country’s leading figures in contemporary music, has been appointed special adviser on the arts to the chancellor, effective July 1.

In a News release, Chancellor Dan Jones stated “I am pleased that Bruce Levingston will be playing a part in developing and supporting the arts at the University of Mississippi.  He has played an important role in the past few years connecting donors and young artists, and that’s part of what is strongly appealing to me about his background and his interests.”

Noted for his innovative and thoughtful programming, Levingston has performed and collaborated with many interesting artists, including painter Chuck Close, actor-author Ethan Hawke and artist-curator Robert Storr.  His repertoire spans from the Baroque works of Bach and Scarlatti to the Classical and Romantic masterpieces of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms to the most avant-garde works of today.

Levingston said he will continue to try to bring interesting, creative people in the arts to the Ole Miss campus, as well as to help raise awareness of the deep well of literary, visual and performing artists that makes up such a vital part of the university’s academic, cultural and campus life.

The other part of his role will be to help raise funds for the arts at the university. His responsibilities will include helping to identify donors and cultivate relationships with them, and helping fund an artist-in-residence or perhaps other visiting professor positions in the humanities and the arts.

The New York Times has called him “one of today’s most adventurous musicians” and praises his performances as “graceful,” “dreamy” and “hauntingly serene.” The New Yorker has described him as “elegant and engaging ... a poetic pianist who has a gift for glamorous programming,” while The Washington Post has lauded his “wonderfully even touch” and “timeless reverie, which Levingston projected beautifully.”