Levant, Oscar. (1904 - 1972)

Signed Photograph

Scarce signed doubleweight photograph of the great American bon vivant, actor and pianist, shown at the piano, inscribed: "To George Gaber/ Best wishes,/ Oscar Levant." Very fine.  10 x 8 inches (25.4 x 20.3 cm.). 

A student of Schoenberg, Oscar Levant was a close friend and important promoter of George Gershwin and played the role of himself in the Gershwin biopic "Rhapsody in Blue." 

From the collection of George Gaber (1916–2007), noted percussionist who performed with a number of professional ensembles, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Baltimore Symphony and worked with Leonard Bernstein, Otto Klemperer, Igor Stravinsky, Henry Mancini, Duke Ellington and many others over the span of his career.  From 1960 to 1986 taught percussion at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and was also an artist in residence at Carnegie Mellon University, an adjudicator for National Music Arts in Japan and the Canadian Music Competition, and a Hall of Fame recipient in Percussion Arts Society.

(18963)


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