Violin
Violinist Leonid Sushansky has been acclaimed widely for his “Gorgeous tone… Compelling musical personality… Passionate intensity” (The Washington Post) and called “Astonishing” by The New York Times. He made his Carnegie Hall recital debut in 2005 with pianist Edward Newman and has since appeared as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician in esteemed concert halls worldwide, with performances featured on numerous radio and television programs.
Mr. Sushansky has performed as soloist with a wide range of orchestras, including the Windsor Symphony, Bergen Philharmonic, Washington Pro Musica, New York Philharmonic, Arlington Symphony, Romanian State Philharmonic, Fairfax Symphony, Philharmonia Virtuosi of New York, Queenspark Symphonia UK, Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic, Richmond Philharmonic, Britt Festival Orchestra, Landon Symphonette, Berlin Chamber Orchestra, Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra(Hungary), Aspen Chamber Orchestra, Columbia Orchestra, Staten Island Symphony, New Hampshire Symphony, Maryland Symphony, Alexandria Symphony, and many others.
He began violin studies with his mother, Rimma Sushanskaya, a pupil of the legendary David Oistrakh. At age 12, he performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto on Marvin Hamlisch’s Showtime television special, and at 13 entered The Juilliard School as a scholarship student, studying with Dorothy DeLay for seven years. At 15, he was invited by Zubin Mehta to debut with the New York Philharmonic performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto. Graduate studies followed at the University of Maryland with Daniel Heifetz and the Guarneri Quartet. He later toured extensively with Daniel Heifetz, was mentored by Catherine Filene Shouse, founder of Wolf Trap and received additional coaching from the great violinist Isaac Stern.
Highlights of recent seasons include a sold-out performance of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at the Kennedy Center with the iconic guest host Lynda Carter this past June, recitals at Bargemusic in New York, and debuts with the Musica Animae Orchestra of Budapest at the Berlin Philharmonie and Leipzig Gewandhaus. He has performed five times as guest recitalist at the Phillips Collection and appeared with the Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Berlin and the National Chamber Ensemble, where he also serves as Artistic Director. He has championed contemporary repertoire, including the Washington, D.C. premiere of Lowell Liebermann’s Horn Trio and Violin Sonata with the composer at the piano, and collaborations with harpist Michelle Lundy, violinists James Stern and Dylana Jenson.
Upcoming engagements include Brahms’ Violin Concerto with the National Chamber Ensemble, the Bach Double Concerto with renowned violinist Dylana Jenson, recital tours in Maryland, Virginia and New Hampshire with pianist Thomas Pandolfi, a return to Ecuador with the Guayaquil Philharmonic, a debut with the Reston Orchestra and more.
Mr. Sushansky is also a dedicated educator. He currently serves on the faculty of the Levine School of Music in Washington, D.C., and has taught at the University of Mary Washington and the Academy of Fine Arts in Maryland, in addition to maintaining his own private studio.
He is the recipient of numerous prizes and honors, including the Outstanding Young Emigre Musician Award, Leningrad Young Musician’s Competition, Westchester Conservatory Competition, University of Maryland Concerto Competition, three University of Maryland Graduate Assistantships, New York Philharmonic National Young Artists Competition, Bergen Philharmonic Competition, and the Inter-Cities Foundation Award.
Mr. Sushansky resides in Arlington, Virginia, where outside of music he enjoys theater, reading, and rollerblading.