TALENT


Lionel Young Biography
Born in Rochester, New York, Lionel Young began taking violin
lessons at the age of six with Anastasia Jempelis at the Eastman
School of Music. His family moved to Pittsburgh where he studied
violin with Herbert Greenburgh, who was the associate concertmaster
of the Pittsburgh Symphony then and is the concertmaster of
the Baltimore Symphony now. He won a music scholarship to
the University of Indiana where he studied with Josef Gingold.
He came back to Pittsburgh and went to Carnegie-Mellon University
to study violin with Fritz Seigal, the Concertmaster of the
Pittsburgh Symphony and served as Concertmaster at University
orchestra for two years, one of which was with Keith Lochhart
who is now the conductor & music director of the Boston
Pops. He was a member of the Pittsburgh Opera-Ballet Orchestra
and the National Repertory Orchestra which commissioned him
to play bluegrass and blues for their summer festival and
on a tour of Japan, Taiwan, and Korea during the 1988 Summer
Olympic Music Festival.
Throughout his career, Mr. Young has won numerous awards
including: The Young Artist Award (Pittsburgh Symphony); The
Concerto Contest (Carnegie-Mellon); The Passamenic Award (Branchwood
String Quartet); and the award for the Best Blues Band in
Westword's Best of Denver in 1989 for his band The Last Fair
Deal. In 1992 he won a position with The Denver Chamber Orchestra
and premiered a solo piece by William Hill with them in 1994.
Also, he won another award for Best Blues Band in Westword's
Best of Denver in 1996 and 1997 for his current band, The
Lionel Young Band.
The Lionel Young Band has released its first CD, "As
the Sun Goes Down" in December 1997. The release has
received excellent reviews regionally and nationally.
Among others he's played in concerts with Count Basie, Stevie
Wonder, Jimmy Paige/Robert Plant, Doc Severenson, Linda Ronstadt,
Living Color, Billy Taylor, Woodie Herman, Stanley Turrentine,
Homesick James, Homer Brown, Hamlet Bluiett, Chief Bae, and
Johnny Long.

Westword, "Best of Denver 1998"
- Best Blues Recording
Volume 21Number 43June 25-July 1, 1998
BEST BLUES RECORDING
As the Sun Goes DownLionel Young BandFans of the driven, classically
trained Young, who has created a distinctive brand of blues
on the electric violin, waited a long time for this striking
collection. The recording, which combines Young originals
with interpretations of blues classics by Willie Dixon, Leadbelly
and Stevie Ray Vaughan, features the strength and passion
of Young's playing, as well as his smooth vocals and unique
translations. The songs, which include his award-winning composition
" Brown Cloud Over Denver" and "Hey, O.J.,"
a controversial little gem, alternately stir up social concerns
and soothe the weary soul. It's prime. It's fun. It's Lionel
Young.
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