Gershwin in Vienna
Concert-Lecture with Levi Hammer, piano
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Gershwin in Vienna
Concert-Lecture presented by Levi Hammer, piano
Tuesday, May 26, 2026
Levi Hammer’s solo piano album Gershwin in Vienna brings together his American roots and his current life in Europe, where he has lived for the last decade. The historical and musical connections between Gershwin, Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern are fascinating but rarely explored beyond a tantalizing footnote. At the Athenaeum, Hammer will play much of the album and speak about the musical parallels between Gershwin and the Viennese modernist masters. Paintings by Gershwin and Schoenberg—both accomplished painters!—will accompany Hammer’s performance of their music. In addition, the composers’ Californian connection will be highlighted in a short film shot on Gershwin’s own tennis court in Los Angeles in the 1930s—right where their legendary tennis matches took place. This program is also an artistic and personal self-portrait of Hammer himself as he describes growing from a child of the Great American Songbook to a conductor and pianist wrestling with the rigorous beauties of the Second Viennese School.
Levi Hammer; photo credit: Denislav Matzel
About Levi Hammer:
Known for his remarkable range and versatility, Levi Hammer performs regularly as both a conductor and pianist. He has conducted orchestras across the United States and Europe, and his repertoire encompasses more than 70 operas. Additionally, he has prepared acclaimed operatic productions for major conductors, including Lorin Maazel, Simon Rattle, Zubin Mehta, and Gustavo Dudamel. Besides the standard repertoire, Hammer is an accomplished performer of both Baroque and contemporary music. As a pianist, he appears as a concerto soloist, chamber musician, and art song collaborator, and he has frequently performed Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and Aaron Copland’s complete music for piano.
“Where words fail, music speaks.”
JOAN & IRWIN JACOBS
MUSIC ROOM
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
1008 Wall Street
La Jolla, CA 92037
CONCERT-LECTURE BEGINS AT 7:30 PM.
DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM.
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS:
$37 member / $47 nonmember / $13 student
Online ticket sales are subject to ticketing fees.
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The lecture will be in person at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. There are no physical tickets for this event. Your name will be on an attendee list at the front door. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. Seating is first-come; first-served. Priority seating will be given to Donor level members and above.
This event will be presented in compliance with State of California and County of San Diego health regulations as applicable at the time of each concert.
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Payment must be received in order to reserve a spot at a lecture.
Your reservation is not complete until you receive an email confirmation. If you do not receive a confirmation email, your tickets have not been reserved. Please check your inbox and spam/junk folder or contact us at info@ljathenaeum.org or (858) 454-5872 to ensure your booking is finalized.
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ALL SALES ARE FINAL. No refunds or exchanges. In the event of a cancellation for which there is no rescheduled date, a refund for this ticket may be issued at the option of the management.
Banner image: Levi Hammer; photo credit: Markus Seisenbacher