Levine Andrade was born in Bombay, and came to England
at the age of 9. He was awarded a scholarship to the Yehudi Menuhin School
and became one of its 12 founder members. He studied at the school with
Robert Masters and Yehudi Menuhin, also receiving master classes from
several eminent visiting professors. It was at this time that Levine's
love of contemporary music started to develop, as he had the opportunity
of learning harmony and composition with Nadia Boulanger and Margaret
Hubicki. At the age of 11, BBC Television made a full documentary about
him in their series "Life of a Child". Just before leaving the school
he took up the viola, which he studied with Patrick Ireland who was coaching
chamber music at the school.
At 15 he was awarded a Vaughan-Williams
scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London. There he
studied the violin with Frederick Grinke, the viola with Max Gilbert,
and was coached in chamber music by Sidney Griller and Colin Hampton.
As a student he started to freelance with the London Symphony Orchestra
and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Orchestra. While
at the Royal Academy he won many prizes for violin, viola and chamber
music, and was honoured with a scholarship for a 4th year of study, after
which he went on to obtain the highest accolade in his Recital Diploma.
Later still at the Academy, the Arditti Quartet was formed with 3 other students,
inspired by their mutual interest in 20th Century Music, in which they
specialised. In the seventeen years he played with them, the quartet
had an unparalleled career, performing at almost every major music festival
throughout the world to great critical acclaim. Their series of concerts
at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London was voted as "Concert of the Year" by
the Daily Telegraph. They were asked to play the opening recital for
the new Concert Hall of the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the live recording
of that concert was awarded one of France's highest recording awards.
Their extensive and unique series of recordings won several prizes, including
the coveted Grand Prix du Disque, and their recording of Bela Bartok's
4th quartet was nominated for a Grammy award. They have also broadcast
world-wide for virtually every Radio station, and have appeared on several
Television programmes, notably "The South Bank Show", in which they gave
the world premiere of Benjamin Britten's "Quartettino", and BBC Television's "Music
in Our Time" where the whole programme was devoted to the many famous
composers with which the Quartet had become synonymous: John Cage, Eliott
Carter, Brian Ferneyhough, Helmut Lachenman, Gyorgy Ligeti and Iannis
Xenakis. Levine also gave the television premiere of Krystof Penderecki's "Capriccio" for
Solo Viola on Polish Television.
The Quartet was also awarded the coveted Siemens prize for outstanding achievement
in the field of groundbreaking music, and several of their recordings
have been incorporated by the BBC into their time capsules. Their record
of the Elliott Carter string quartets was also awarded the title of 'the
record of the decade'.
Levine left the quartet and their very busy touring schedule in 1990 to spend
more time with his wife, three boys and a girl, and now works almost exclusively in London
as a freelance musician, where he enjoys a varied musical life, regularly performing concertos mostly
in London, both on the violin and viola, as well as leading and directing
various orchestras. He enjoys playing principal viola in chamber orchestras
and performs as much chamber music as time allows, one regular event
being Robert Cohen's Summer Festival in Charleston Manor. He has also
conducted summer concerts at Manor Houses around England as part of a
British Heritage concert series.
Some of the orchestras that Levine has either been concertmaster, principal 2nd Violin or principal viola include
Ballet Rambert, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, The BBC Big Band, The BBC Studio Players,
The Bert Kaempfert Orchestra, The English Chamber Orchestra, The English Chamber Players,
The English Music Theatre Company, The Feinstein Ensemble, The Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra,
The Locrian Ensemble, The London Big Band, The London Festival Orchestra, The London Gala Orchestra,
The London Mozart Players, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Sinfonietta, The Mannheim Big Band,
The Nelson Riddle Orchestra, The New Symphony Orchestra, The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra,
The Residentie Orchestra - Holland, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The Royal Philharmonic Pops Orchestra,
The Scottish Dance Theatre, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, and The Wally Fields Jazz Orchestra.
The Daily Telegraph described Levine as "a potently eloquent soloist" after a
performance of Vaughan-Williams' 'Flos Campi' at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, and
he also performed the 'Chopraya' Concerto for viola, flute and harp at the late
night proms.
In addition to his Classical side, in the commercial field Levine has played
for most of the big film composers of the present day (some of whom have written
featured solos especially for him) such as Alan Silvestri, Alex North, Andrew Lloyd-Webber,
Barrington Pheloung, Barry Adamson, Basil Poledouris, Brian May, Bruce Broughton,
Carl Davis, Christopher Gunning, Christopher Stone, Cliff Eidelman,
Danny Elfman, Daryl Griffith, David Arnold, David Newman, David Rose, Debbie Wiseman, Don Davis,
Elliott Goldenthal, Elmer Bernstein, Ennio Morricone, Eric Rogers,
Gabriel Yared, George Fenton, Georges Delerue, Glenn Keiles,
Henry Mancini, Howard Blake, Howard Shore,
Jeff Wayne, Jerry Goldsmith, John Barry, John Cacavas, John Dankworth, John Debney, John Williams,
Laurie Johnson,
Mark Isham, Mark Russell, Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Kamen, Michael Nyman, Michel Legrand, Mike Batt, Mike Hewer,
Nigel Hess,
Patrick Doyle, Philippe Sarde,
Rachel Portman, Randy Edelman, Randy Newman, Richard Blackford, Richard Hartley, Richard Harvey, Richard Rodney-Bennett,
Robert Farnon, Robert Miller, Ron Goodwin,
Stanley Black, Stanley Myers,
Toru Takemitsu,
Wilfred Josephs and Wolfgang Hammerschmidd.
For recordings he has worked with artistes which include 5IVE, A1, ABC, Air, Alice Smith, Annie Lennox, Anoop Pillai,
Barbara Dixon, Barratt Noel Waugh, Billy Currie, Bjork, Bobby McFerrin, Brotherhood of Man,
Carly Simon, Carson, Cat stevens, Celine Dion, Charles Dutoit, Cher, Claire Martin, Cliff Richard,
Dave Stewart, Debra Wharmby, Dionne Bromfield, Duran Duran,
Elaine Paige, Electric Light Orchestra, Elton John, Emma Boundy, Eurythymics,
Francois le Roux,
Gareth Gates, Geoffrey Abbott, George Michael, George Shearing, Gerry Rafferty, Goldie Hawn,
Hot Chocolate,
Inju5tice,
J J Johnson, J, Jackie Joyce, jadan Lee, James Whitbourn, Jeff Layton, Jerome Flynn, Joan Armatrading, Joan Sutherland, Jon Bon-Jovi, Jose Carreras,
Judie Tzuke, Julie Andrews,
Karen Louise, Ken Dodd, Kings of Convenience, Kiri Te Kanawa,
Larry Adler, Leilani, Len Cariou, Leo Sayer, Leona Lewis, Linda Bravo, Lionel Richie, Luciano Pavarotti,
Madness, Madonna, Maria Friedman, Mario Biondi, Martyn Joseph, Matt Willis, Mattie Jay, McFly, Meatloaf, Mel Smith,
Natalie Imbruglia, Nenah Cherry, Next of Kin, Nick Heyward,
Ofra Haza, Olivia Newton John,
Pat Metheny, Paul McCartney, Paul Young, Peters & Lee, Petula Clark, Phil Collins, Placido Domingo, Prefab Sprout,
Radiohead, Randy Crawford, Richard Bonynge, Robert Palmer, Robin Williams, Robson & Jerome, Rolf Harris,
S Club 7, Sade, Sananda Maitreya, Sarah Brightman, Scarlette, Shack, Shayan, Sheena Easton, Shena, Silje, Simply Red, Sinead Blanchfield, Sinead O'Connor,
Spice Girls, Stefan Grapelli, Steven Houghton, Sting, Suggs, Sweetmouth, Swing Out Sister,
Take That, Tasmin Little, Tears for Fears, Terence Trent D'Arby, The Beautiful South, The Pogues, The Real Thing, The Shapeshifters,
The Soldiers, Tina Turner, Toni Visconti,
Upside Down,
Valentina, Vanessa Mae, Vincenzo la Scola,
Westlife, Wet Wet Wet, Whitney Houston, Wings,
Yazoo, and Yehudi Menuhin.
In concert he has played for such diverse artistes as Andrea Boccelli, Andy Williams, Antonio Banderas,
Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, Barry White, Bill Bruford, Boyzone, Bruce Forsyth, Buddy Greco,
Charlotte Church, Cleo Laine, Cliff Richard,
Dame Edna Everage, Danny Kaye, Dean Martin, Diahann Carroll, Dolly Parton,
Edgar Winter,Elena Roggero, Engelbert Humperdinck, Eric Clapton, Eternal,
Frank Sinatra,
Gene Pitney, George Benson, Glenn Close, Gunter Schuller, Guy Barker,
Hear'Say, Howard Keel,
Jennifer Lopez, Jethro Tull, Joe Lovano, Johnny Mathis, Jose Carreras, Julio Iglesias,
Kate Bush, Kate Ceberano, Keith Emerson,
Larry Hagman, Lata Mangeshkar, Led Zeppelin, Lesley Garrett, Louis Belson,
Maria Friedman, Mark Isham, Mary Martin, Matt Monroe, Michael Ball,
Natalie Cole, Neil Sedaka, Nigel Kennedy,
Pearl Bailey, Perry Como,
Randy Newman, Rick Wakeman, Riverdance, Robbie Williams, Ron Moody, Rowan Atkinson, Roy Orbison, Russell Watson,
Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley Bassey, Stanley Black, Stewart Copeland,
The Muppetts, Tim Garland, Tom Jones, Tommy Smith, Tony Bennett, Twiggy,
Vangelis, Vera Lynn, Vic Damone and Victor Borge.
For Television he has regularly played at the Royal Variety and Royal Gala Performances, and has played on several TV shows
for Marti Caine, The Two Ronnies, Des O'Connor, Bruce Forsyth and Michael Parkinson. He has also played for such classics
as "Last of the Summer Wine", "To the Manor Born", "Allo Allo", "Inspector Morse", "The House of Eliott", "Fortunes of War",
"Soldier Soldier", "Pride & Prejudice" and on a variety of theme tunes for Television programmes as well as on Michael
Parkinson and Terry Wogan's chat shows.
He has also recorded music for public performance for the Madame Tussauds Group,which is to be played at castles around
England to give atmosphere to their historic exhibits, and also music for the 1996 Olympics that was played in Atlanta
during the Games.
After leaving the quartet Levine has also had the opportunity to conduct music for film, television, radio and record
albums, as well as founding the London Telefilmonic Orchestra to play for various films and commercials. He has also
written a film score for "Strings", a film based on the true-life story of a Bosnian Cellist, and is writing for and
producing various record albums featuring music from around the globe.