NEW VENUE: Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
511 Groveland Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Tickets are $15 for non-members & $10 per ticket for groups of 8+. Students are now free.
Going to miss a concert? Purchase a Youtube replay for $8 or get access to the full Thursday Musical library of concerts by becoming a member. Get a preview of our replays by watching last year’s opening concert: https://youtu.be/vaJXJ5vqfgg
Or become a member.
Featuring Thursday Musical Members Oleg Levin, piano & Salam Murtada, piano
Audience Health and Safety Requirements:
Masks will not be required but are welcomed and encouraged at Thursday Musical concerts.
Dr. Levin is a Twin Cities’ renowned pianist and educator. With a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota, where he studied under the guidance of esteemed professor Alexander Braginsky, Dr. Levin brings a wealth of academic rigor and artistic depth to his role as Adjunct Professor of Piano at Concordia University, St. Paul. Dr. Levin maintains a vibrant performance schedule in the Twin Cities area, both as a soloist and chamber musician.
A defining aspect of Dr. Levin's career is his advocacy for living composers and underrepresented music from the 20th and 21st centuries. His efforts to expand the repertoire include collaborations with composers and performers, as well as projects aimed at recording and performing lesser‐known works. In recognition of his contributions, Dr. Levin was awarded an Artist Initiative Grant by the Minnesota State Arts Board in 2016, facilitating the production of his debut solo CD album featuring Russian piano music of the modern era. Dr. Levin's achievements extend beyond the concert stage. He is a prize‐winning pianist in several local competitions, including the Schubert Club Competition and the Marvin O. Mechelke II Piano Competition. As a respected adjudicator for local competitions and festivals, he shares his expertise and insights with emerging musicians, fostering a new generation of talented performers.
Salam Murtada is a native of Amman, Jordan. He was a semi-finalist in the Fourth Van Cliburn International Competition for Outstanding Amateurs in 2004, a semi-finalist in the Washington International Piano Artist Competition in 2006, a winner in the Masters Concerto and Aria Competition (MCAC) in 2019 and a prize winner in the Greensboro Music Academy National Piano Competition in 2000. He has been featured on the WDAV 89.9 FM (Charlotte, NC), several newspapers in North Carolina, the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Tribune, the London Times, HDTV and BBC Radio. His original compositions have been premiered in the US, Australia, Ukraine, Estonia, Colombia, Egypt and Jordan. His instructors include John Ruggero in Raleigh NC, Christine Kefferstan of West Virginia University at Morgantown, Lita Guerra of University of Texas at Austin, and Samia Abu-Khader Ghannoum in Amman, Jordan. He has also coached with Walter Hautzig and Vanessa Cornett-Murtada. For more information, visit salammurtada.com.
Salam is a civil and environmental engineer currently working for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.