Lewis Kaplan To Step Down as Artistic Director of Bowdoin Festival After 50 Seasons

It has been announced today that American violinist Lewis Kaplan is set to stand down as Artistic Director of the Bowdoin International Summer Music Festival – after 50 seasons of service.

Mr Kaplan, 80 co-founded the annual event in Brunswick, Maine, USA in 1964 with Robert Beckwith and has served as a driving force behind its growth from a small summer workshop, to today an internationally renowned festival - presenting over 80 concerts and attracting 250 students and 60-plus faculty from around the world.

The Artistic Director responsibilities, as of next year, will be assumed by brothers Phillip and David Ying – with Mr Kaplan to continue on faculty as an instructor.

Lewis Kaplan currently serves long term Senior Professorships in violin and chamber music at The Juilliard School and Mannes College – his famed students including Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Pinchas Zukerman, Kyung-Wha Chung, Pamela Frank, Cho-Liang Lin and VC 'Young Artist' Richard Lin.