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.