A native of the St. Louis, Missouri area, recent performances and awards of Colin Levins include being a 2023 prizewinner of the Kansas City Sigma Alpha Iota Scholarship Auditions, a performance for the University of Central Missouri’s President’s Gala in the Kauffman Center, and recent world premiers of solo piano works. His past teachers include Nanell Kupits McAlpin, Jacqueline Ashley, Karen Poore, Dr. Jennifer Judd, and Dr. Mia Kim, and Sean Chen.

Mr. Levins has performed throughout the United States and abroad, including solo piano music and chamber ensembles. He enjoys various ways of being active in the music world, especially connecting with his audience. To explore this in more detail, in 2022 he launched a project called “Classical Horizons,” which is a series of mini-recitals with exciting pieces for a casual audience. To also further his goal of interaction between the performer and audience, Mr. Levins has dabbled in arranging music and composing. Some recent projects include arranging Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and various teaching pieces. Throughout his performance career, he has also been a pianist at many churches in Missouri.

Mr. Levins received a Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, where he studied with Sean Chen. He was on full scholarship, having served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. Mr. Levins also holds a Bachelor of Music in two concentrations, Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy, from the University of Central Missouri. At UCM he studied with Dr. Mia Kim, where he earned numerous scholarships and awards, and graduated summa cum laude from the Honors College. He completed additional studies with Michael Chertock at the Brevard Music Center and has participated in various music festivals such as the Zodiac Music Festival and the Pennsylvania State Honors Music Institute.

A dedicated teacher, his private students have consistently received awards and competitions and are active performers. Mr. Levins is currently on the piano faculty at the UMKC Conservatory Academy, Wentzville Academy of Music, and teaches privately. He has previously held teaching positions at the Interlochen Arts Camp, Warrensburg Community Music Program, and the Music Studio of Warrensburg. Energetically a part of the community, he currently serves as the Development Chair for the Kansas City Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA) chapter. He previously served on executive boards of the UCM and UMKC Conservatory’s Music Teachers National Association collegiate chapters, the latter of which he was Founder and President. This chapter has gone on to give presentations at various venues in the United States. Outside of music, Mr. Levins takes pleasure in photography as a hobby and attempts to be a runner.