Amadeus Leopold

Alexandra Doyle January 22, 2015 4:00AM

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Violinist Amadéus Leopold isn’t what you could call an ordinary-looking classical musician. Portraits often show him wearing a tuxedo and holding his violin (nothing unusual there). It’s his tall Mohawk, heavy eye shadow, sunglasses and an assortment of steampunk-style accents that veer from the usual symphony member look. Leopold says that the makeup, costumes and theatricality of his concerts aren’t about showbiz; he wants to create a complete artistic experience for his audience and a visual representation of the music. He compares his work to pop art and the style of Andy Warhol, which is especially evident in his push to become part of the renaissance and re-popularization of classical music.

Leopold, born Hahn-Bin in Seoul, South Korea, was a violin prodigy who made his international debut at age 12. Two years later, he went on to study with Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School and dubbed himself Amadéus Leopold, a mash-up of composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s and violin virtuoso Leopold Auer’s names.

The program for today’s concert, sponsored by the Society for the Performing Arts, includes Danse Macabre, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Romanian folk dances, A Transylvanian lullaby, excerpts from the scores to Schindler’s List and Young Frankenstein, Carmen Fantasy and more. Steinway artist John Blacklow assists Leopold during the performance.

8 p.m. Wortham Center, 500 Texas. For information, call 713-227-4772 or visit spahouston.org. $30 to $80.
Fri., Jan. 23, 8 p.m., 2015