Rosina Levina American pianist and music teacher of Russian origin. Date of Birth: 29.03.1880 Country: USA

Biography of Rosina Levin

Rosina Levin, an American pianist and music educator of Russian origin, was born into a wealthy jeweler's family. She began taking private piano lessons and her teacher at the time was Joseph Levin, a student at the Moscow Conservatory who was five years older than her. Inspired by her teacher, Rosina decided to pursue a career in music and enrolled at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1898, she graduated with a gold medal and immediately married Joseph Levin.

From that point on, Rosina Levin vowed to give up her solo career and assist her husband in his teaching activities. She only performed in duets with her husband, playing the second piano part, until Joseph's death in 1944. In 1907, the Levin family left Russia and settled in Berlin, where they faced many difficulties during the years of World War I. In 1919, they relocated to New York, where Joseph taught at the Juilliard School and Rosina assisted him.

After Joseph Levin's death, the administration of the Juilliard School convinced Rosina to become his successor. Over the years, many prominent pianists emerged from her class, with Van Cliburn being the most famous. He won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1958, largely thanks to the love for the Russian piano school that Rosina instilled in him.

In her later years, Rosina Levin occasionally performed in concerts and made several recordings. In January 1963, at the age of 82, she made her debut with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of Leonard Bernstein, performing the same piano concerto by Frederic Chopin that she had played in her graduation exam at the conservatory in 1898.