Kevin Kwan Loucks

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Kevin Kwan Loucks
Pianist Kevin Kwan Loucks
Pianist Kevin Kwan Loucks
Loucks addressing an audience at the Orange County Great Park on March 31, 2012
Background information
Birth nameKevin Kwan Loucks
BornSouth Korea
GenresClassical
Occupation(s)Musician, educator, arts entrepreneur
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active2000–present
Websitewww.kevinloucks.com www.trioceleste.com www.chambermusicoc.org

Kevin Kwan Loucks is a

Costa Mesa, CA,[1] and also served as Director of Innovation and Program Development at Music Academy of the West in Montecito, California.[2] He co-founded Chamber Music | OC, an arts organization headquartered in Lake Forest, California,[3] and is a founding member and current pianist of the award-winning piano trio, Trio Céleste.[4]

Early life and formal education

Loucks, a

The Juilliard School where he studied chamber music with pianists Yoheved Kaplinsky, Seymour Lipkin, and cellist Fred Sherry
. At Juilliard, he received the Luba and George Goldberg Prize and the Susan Rose Fellowship before graduating with a master of music degree in 2006.

He took a year off to concertize before enrolling in the doctoral program at

The Banff Centre
in Canada where he worked with pianists Marc Durand and Robert McDonald.

In 2017, Loucks graduated with an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from the Argyros School of Business and Economics at Chapman University in Orange, California where he studied entrepreneurship, finance, management, and strategy. He completed his executive education at Stanford Graduate School of Business where he studied marketing and innovation, brand management, and digital marketing strategy.

Performance career

Loucks has concertized as both

Merkin Concert Hall, the Moulin d'Andé, Prösels Castle, IBK Chamber Hall and the Recital Hall at Seoul Arts Center, Soka Performing Arts Center, and BP Hall at Walt Disney Concert Hall.[9]

The Banff Centre.[10]

The Krechkovsky/Loucks Duo

Tchaikovsky. The Duo has also premiered numerous compositions written for them by composers including Samuel Adler and Philip Lasser,[13] and have worked with John Corigliano in New York City.[14]

Trio Céleste

At the recommendation of pianist Wu Han, Loucks formed Trio Céleste in 2012 with Krechkovsky and cellist Ross Gasworth who performed together with Krechkovsky during their graduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2006 and 2007. The trio has since established itself as one of the most active and dynamic chamber music ensembles in the country with major recital performances in Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, and Toronto.[15]

Trio Céleste performing Beethoven's Triple Concerto at the Marcus D. Hurlbut Theater on July 12, 2014

In their inaugural season, Trio Céleste was selected as winners of the prestigious Beverly Hills Auditions in Los Angeles[15] and were appointed Artists-in-Residence at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts at the University of California, Irvine,[9] where they also direct the annual Summer Chamber Music Festival.[16] The ensemble also makes up the core of Chamber Music | OC, both as principal performers and as organizational administrators.[17]

The trio’s first major performance project, “The Complete Piano Trios of

Eugene Drucker
, and "The Evolution of Ludwig van Beethoven" with music critic Timothy Mangan explored the creative evolution of Beethoven through his music for violin, cello, and piano.

Trio Céleste recorded their debut album with

Amazon.com for chamber music releases[19] and has received critical acclaim from major publications including The Strad who said, "The US West Coast-based Céleste Trio may have been formed only four years ago, but judging from its first disc it has an important career ahead of it...The playing in Beethoven’s early Piano Trio in G major is not only accomplished but unfailingly stylish – crisply turned yet high in character...The second movement is a rapt fusion of slow, pliantly lilting siciliana, prayer-like solemnity and twinkling delicacy. Constellations – ten newly commissioned variations based on the opening theme from the second movement of Beethoven’s Trio – are novel if not all successful...In Dvořák’s ‘Dumky’ Trio, the players contrast sparkling exuberance in the fast sections with heart-rending tragedy in the slow ones – the Poco adagio of the second movement is especially mesmeric in its frozen motion. They vividly realise the composer’s ambition to combine the ‘melancholy and delirious joy of life… in the same being’."[20]

The ensemble recorded their second album in June 2018 featuring Beethoven's

Tchaikovsky Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 50
with recording engineer Louis Ng at Soka Performing Arts Center.

Professional activities

International Arts Mentoring Program

Merkin Concert Hall on April 23, 2013

The Education and Culture Association of South Korea created the International Arts Mentoring Project in 2010 to bring music performance and arts education to underprivileged children throughout South Korea.[21] Loucks was invited to lead and direct the artistic operations of the project that included the selection of over fifty student to take part in over two weeks of mentoring and formal concert performances in Busan, Seoul, and Yongin. The program featured private lessons and master classes for pianists and string players, interdisciplinary performance projects with actors and dancers, and a weeklong arts camp that culminated in a formal performance tour of the country.[21]

Orange County Great Park

In 2011 Loucks was selected as Artist-in-Residence at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.[22] He conceived and developed an eight-concert chamber music series that featured Canadian cellist Denis Brott, Alarm Will Sound clarinetist Bill Kalinkos, The Krechkovsky/Loucks Duo, and Trio Céleste among others. Each individual program included unique interactions with the audience, public workshops, lectures, and special programs for kids.[23] It was through the success of this residency that then Mayor of Irvine, Sukhee Kang, convinced Loucks and Krechkovsky to move to Irvine, California.[14]

Chamber Music | OC

Launched in 2012 by Loucks and Krechkovsky, Chamber Music | OC is a unique arts initiative designed to address what Loucks says are many of the complex issues facing performers and audiences alike: "It is a project that embodies the most important elements shaping classical music today – a commitment to the art of performance, educating the next generation of young musicians, and the necessity to contribute to one’s community through the arts.”[24] Krechkovsky currently serves as the organization's Director of Education while Loucks serves as a member of the Pre-College Faculty.[25]

Performance

The Performance division of Chamber Music | OC provides residents of the greater Orange County area with world-class chamber music performances presented by rising stars and established veterans in the classical music world. Distinguished guest artists have included the Argus Quartet,

Philip Setzer, violin; Trio Céleste; Ben Ullery, viola; and William VerMeulen, horn. In 2017, Chamber Music | OC celebrated its 5-year anniversary with a sold-out Carnegie Hall
debut recital at Zankel Hall featuring the world premiere of a new concerto grosso by composer Paul Dooley featuring Trio Céleste and some of the organization's former guest artist.

Education

The Education division of Chamber Music | OC is anchored by the Pre-College Program (formerly the Young Artist Program) and was previously in residence at

Peabody Institute of Music, Princeton University, Rice University, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Stanford University, among others.[26]

Community

The Community Outreach Division of Chamber Music | OC aspires to make the benefits of music widely accessible through collaborations with local schools and community organizations. The program offers a range of single- and multi- session workshops and performances designed to give participants the opportunity to enjoy and learn about how music can positively affect their well-being. Partnering organizations include the Irvine Adult Day Health Services, Human Options, Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts, Orange County Children's Therapeutic Art Center, Rejoice Center, Santa Ana High School, and University Synagogue in Irvine.[27]

Grand Canyon Residency

In 2013, Chamber Music | OC was selected from over five hundred applicants to be Artists-in-Residence at the Grand Canyon National Park. Then directors Iryna Krechkovsky, Michelle Gasworth, Ross Gasworth, and Loucks participated in performances, public master classes, and led educational outreach projects throughout the South Rim in August 2014.[28]

COVID-19 pandemic and new headquarters

During the

LA Times to write, "Gatherings or no gatherings, Chamber Music OC is keeping classical music going in Orange County."[29] The pandemic also prompted the organization to formulate a new strategic plan that would enable the organization to self-produce innovative artistic content, invest in technology to expand organizational reach, scale its thriving Pre-College Program, and explore and implement new business models.[30]

On August 11, 2020, Chamber Music | OC purchased a 4,000-square-foot commercial property that was repurposed to help address these needs. The facility includes the 1,200-square-foot Weinstein Performance Space, a recording studio, rehearsal spaces, administrative offices, and various common areas.[31]

Upcoming 10-Year Anniversary Season

To kick off its 10-year anniversary season, Chamber Music | OC announced that it was named a commissioning partner for the Kronos Quartet’s 50 for the Future project. This collaboration will bring members of the Quartet to Orange County to interact with participants of the Pre-College Program, and will also feature special performance collaborations with students and Chamber Music | OC principals.[32] Other anniversary initiatives include a new concert series at the Weinstein Performance Space, new partnerships with major Southern California arts organizations, and a concert celebration at Walt Disney Concert Hall in July 2022.

Chamber Music America

After an extensive national search, Chamber Music America, the national network of ensemble music professionals, named Loucks as its new Chief Executive Officer effective September 1, 2021.[33] The organization provides access to professional resources and benefits, professional development seminars, grants and awards, and a national conference hosted annually in New York City. The membership community is made up of thousands of artists, educators, managers, presenters, and organizations, and represent all fifty states. Loucks is tasked with providing leadership and strategic vision that will enable the organization to achieve its artistic, financial, and organizational goals. He also serves as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.

Awards and recognition

Loucks has been called "impeccable" by

Public Broadcasting Service, KABC-TV Los Angeles, and the Korean Broadcasting System. He was a top prize winner at the Schlern International Competition in Italy,[35] the International Chamber Music Ensemble Competition in Boston,[37] the Beverly Hills Auditions in Los Angeles on two separate occasions,[38] the Music Teachers' Association of California Duo-Piano Competition, the American Prize in Piano Performance,[39] and the Emerging Artist Award from Arts Orange County.[citation needed
]

Loucks was named one of Orange County's most influential people by

Orange County Business Journal. In 2019, he received special recognition from the California State Legislature for the creation and development of the Sing! Program at Music Academy of the West.[citation needed
]

Personal

Loucks resides in

Eagle Scout
in 2000.

References

  1. ^ "Staff Directory". www.philharmonicsociety.org.
  2. ^ "| Music Academy". www.musicacademy.org.
  3. ^ "New Group Plays Classic Tunes". Laguna Beach Independent Newspaper, The "Indy" – Laguna Beach News. January 30, 2014.
  4. ^ Michael. "Music Festival Salon 102612". stunewslaguna.com.
  5. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. ^ "Pianist Kevin Kwan Loucks has performed in The Kennedy Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, La Maison Française Embassy". uci.edu.
  7. ^ "Kevin Kwan Loucks". musicatmenlo.org. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014.
  8. ^ "Concert Pianist & Artist-in-Residence Kevin Kwan Loucks To Perform Recital at Great Park". ocgp.org. Archived from the original on October 1, 2014.
  9. ^ a b "Artists-in-Residence: Trio Céleste | Music.arts.uci.edu". Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  10. ^ "Gruppo Montebello – InstantEncore". instantencore.com.
  11. ^ "Encinitas concert series to feature historic violin". The Coast News.
  12. ^ "Iryna Krechkovsky". May 11, 2013.
  13. ^ "The Quest for Our Nostalgic Melodies - Merkin Concert Hall in New York - el Paso Times". Archived from the original on September 16, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  14. ^ a b "Five questions with Chamber Music OC cofounder Kevin Kwan Loucks". Orange County Register. May 2, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "Trio Céleste". May 11, 2013.
  16. ^ "Music | outreach". Archived from the original on September 16, 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
  17. ^ "Trio Céleste | chambermusicoc.org".
  18. ^ "Special Projects - Trio Céleste". Archived from the original on March 27, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  19. ^ "Things are looking up for Orange County's Trio Céleste". April 21, 2016.
  20. ^ "Beethoven: Piano Trio in G major op.1 no.2. Dvořák Piano Trio no.4 in e minor op.90 'Dumky' Various: Constellations: Variations on a Theme by Beethoven - the Strad". Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  21. ^ a b "美입양 피아니스트, 고국 꿈나무 키운다". chosun.com. August 2020.
  22. ^ "Great Park Launches New Artists-in-Residence Program". ocgp.org. Archived from the original on August 25, 2014.
  23. ^ http://www.orangecountygreatpark.org/loucks.html
  24. ^ Loucks, Kevin. "Chamber Music | OC – Welcome".
  25. ^ "Meet CMOC | chambermusicoc.org".
  26. ^ "Pre-College | chambermusicoc.org".
  27. ^ Loucks, Kevin. "Chamber Music | OC – Community Outreach".
  28. ^ "Chamber Music | OC – Grand Canyon Residency".
  29. ^ "LA Times; December 4, 2020". Los Angeles Times. December 4, 2020.
  30. ^ "Chamber Music | OC – Boundless Campaign".
  31. ^ "Chamber Music | OC – HQ".
  32. ^ "Kronos Quartet – 50 for the Future".
  33. ^ "Chamber Music America Names Kevin Kwan Loucks CEO".
  34. ^ Gingras, Claude (May 22, 2009). "L'héroïque Rachel Barton Pine". La Presse.
  35. ^ a b ""Schlern International Music Festival" 2004 feierte großen Publikumserfolg". Völser Zeitung (in German). Vol. 16, no. 4. July–August 2004. p. 10. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
  36. ^ "Chamber festival soars with double bass". Orange County Register. May 2, 2006.
  37. ^ "CMFoNE: 2005 Chamber Music Ensemble Competition". cmfone.org.
  38. ^ "Stony Brook Students Win the Beverly Hills Auditions". Stony Brook Music Department. June 14, 2012.
  39. ^ david. "The American Prize: Piano winners, 2012". theamericanprize.blogspot.com.
  40. ^ "Kevin Kwan Loucks chamber music". ocweekly.com. March 2015. [dead link]

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