Which is truly the master – the man or the instrument? Does the instrument itself demand a standing ovation or does the master channel the souls of those whom have played the prized instrument before him?  Does the instrument have a soul itself?  Truly it is a mystical treat when listening to Edvin Marton play his prized Stradivarius. The instrument seems to be part of him, almost as if he were born with his violin as an appendage or as if the pair sought each other out as star-crossed lovers, destined to be together forever.  To hear Edvin Marton play is  a treat to the senses. He has a huge following in Asia, Europe, Eastern Europe and the United States.  Edvin has had the honor to play for some of the most notable people this world has ever known, as well as, having the opportunity to grace almost every country on the face of the planet with his masterful music and prowess.  The music he plays is as fine as woven silk that floats as mist does on a cool summer’s water.  Edvin Marton didn’t just happen to fall into greatness; he honed his skills over many years, much like the musical greats we’ve come to revere: he was a child prodigy. Marton was playing masterful compo sitions at the age of five.  Even as a child he had a gift so profound that all those that heard it were filled with high emotion.  That same gift brought him from a modest home in Hungary to the Central Tchaikovsky Music School in Moscow to study under a musical great named Leo Lundstrem.  As time progressed he gained even more mastery, combining what he learned from his parents, both of whom where talented violinist.  By the age of 12 he had far surpassed many of his contemporaries and went on to study with Eugenia Tchougaeva whose teaching prepared him for his first major concert with the Moscow Orchestra at the age of 12.  Marton later moved to Budapest and was enrolled into Liszt Ferenc Academy of music where he took part in a master violinist class under Ruggiero Ricci.  Under the tutelage of Ruggiero, he won prizes such as, best participant and the Grand Prize of the International Course Competition in Berlin.  From hence he was catapulted into the National Philharmonic Concert Agency in Hungary as a young soloist, making him a sought after name in the world of music.

Fame grew increasingly for the young star and as did his skill.  Soon, his presence was required by all who were graced by his unfathomable talents. The great violinist found himself at The Julliard School of music in New York City and after much success, he would attend school in Vienna where he would graduate from a renowned music academy. Marton would then grace the stages of concert halls in over 30 countries, from Asia to the Middle East, Europe to the United States, and everywhere in between.  He played at the Olympic Games in 2006 and played for gold Medal athletes, such as the esteemed Evgeni Plushenko, Tatiana Totmiania and Maxim Marinin. Edvin was nominated for and won an Emmy Award for Best Composition. He has worked with other famous musicians including Seal and Gloria Gaynor. Edvin’s music is loved worldwide and his music has been known to bring various cultures and generations together as one – feed the soul and cause the heart to soar.  His music is so touching and heartfelt that upon hearing it, The Princess of Brunei was moved to request a concert appearance by Marton, held in Dubai.

Now, the Brilliant Lecture Series has the opportunity to bring to you one of the greatest musicians of our time, to play, to let his violin give the lecture and to put on a concert never seen in Houston. We are honored to announce Edvin Marton, for one show, for one night. See the legendary Stradivarius and hear the mystical music of Edvin Marton.

With knowledge, love, hope and insight we push further into existence and conquer new heights.  We spend a great deal of the time of our lives…constantly learning, adapting and working to change our state of mind about each other and the world we live in.  The Brilliant Lecture Series’ goal is to promote education, community awareness and exceptional dialogue. We have brought some of the most interesting and inspirational people of the world to our great coastal city. 

We also host another type of lecture called “Brill Talks” by which we inspire school children in poorer districts to succeed and to show them that no matter your environment, you can succeed in life if you persevere, hold fast to decent values and heartily pursue education.  We’ve brought athletes, high ranking military officers, actors and hard-working, everyday people such as Doc Hendley of “Wine to Water”.   Doc Hendley came from an average American home…graduated from high school and eventually went to college and received a degree in communications.  He then took that education and founded the Wine to Water non-profit and with that he began bringing fresh clean water to some of the most inhospitable places in the world.  This being said, when Doc Hendley came to speak at a local school and told the children about places where there was no water to drink, swim in & bathe in, the children were in awe.  They almost couldn’t believe that in some countries people weren’t allowed to have fresh water because they were not rich or looked differently.  Doc Hendley taught the children that through education he was able to reach out and help the world in need.  He pressed upon the children that education is not just learning to read or write, its power, the power to change the world around you for the better.  This is why Brill Talks is so important.  Brill Talks gives children the opportunity to see a world outside their own and it feeds their ever inquisitive minds…thats why we need your support to help keep Brill Talks alive so please donate, it’s our mission to inspire Houston’s children. Click here Finally,  Brill Talks engages middle and high school students in direct and interactive learning by inviting local, national, and international members of our society to visit schools and speak about their own journeys through life, as well as what drove them to their own heights of success. This open dialogue is designed to inspire and improve interpersonal relationships, build cross-cultural understanding, and motivate students to stay with their dreams and goals while making a difference in both their communities and the world. Through Brill Talks, we are committed to developing individuals who will one day join the workforce in industries such as oil and gas, finance, information technology, fine arts, business, media, and engineering.  

Next, we also host great lectures. Our first lecture was on October 2006, with one of the world’s most interesting people…Queen Noor of Jordan.  The Queen is known for being one of the world’s foremost women’s rights activists, child advocated, environmentalist and she also works very hard to promote peace and education.  She has won many awards and has received many honorary doctorates during her life’s achievements.  We were very honored to have her here to speak with us and hear her words of encouragement, hope, wisdom and guidance.  The evening she spoke and was honored was truly a great evening and the city was quite receptive of the Queen being here to spread her message and her ideas surrounding helping mankind and fostering world peace.  The ticket holders that night asked many delightful questions and the Queen gave many clear and concise answers…many of which cause us to ponder our ownrole in the world and what we could do to give more.  The Queen’s lecture was truly profound and touched us to the core.  We all wished the night didn’t have to end and that we could have heard more awe inspiring insight but alas the night was ending and the queen had more pressing duties to attend to.  

  Another great Brilliant Lecture was that of world renowned actor Sir Sidney Poitier. Known for his roles as Mr. Tibbs and for being the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor, Mr. Poitier was also knighted by the British Throne and was also eventually made Ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan, a position he currently holds. He is also the Ambassador of the Bahamas to UNESCO.  Coming to Houston, he made it a point to discuss his memoirs and his tenure as ambassador.  He also poignantly discussed his role during the civil rights movement.  Known for his profound acting and eloquent speaking, he moved the audience almost to tears describing the things that tie us all together and why it’s important for us to use life to its fullest potential for peace and the purpose of maintaining society. 

These two famous individuals whom have left a true mark on the world and society as a whole, have truly taken our hearts and mind and inspired us to be better people, contribute more to our world and our varying communities.  That is why we need you to help us by donating to our cause.  Without you we cannot continue to bring these amazing people and worthwhile lectures to Houston. Box office revenue supports less than a third of overall production costs. So come on, donate & let us know who truly inspires YOU!  Click here  and choose one of the donation options to send your amount and feel free to email us and suggest who YOU would like us to bring to Houston.  The cost to present global icons and role models to Houston is substantial. In order to keep individual ticket prices affordable to everyone, the success of our organization relies heavily on the support of our generous corporate, individual and foundation sponsors. “Our Conversation with Brilliance” series has presented some of the most famous role models in the world and consistently draws international attention to our great city and our sponsors. For more information, visit our Previous Speakers. Once again, come on, donate & let us know who truly inspires YOU!  Click here  and choose a donation option to send your amount and feel free to email us and suggest who YOU would like us to bring to Houston.

This magnet school is located in Houston’s 4^th ward.  Most of the students are low income with 91% of the students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.  The majority of the school is African-American and Hispanic.  The area has also undergone a gentrification project which has cut attendance somewhat.  Although that has taken place, several schools in the area have become “feeder” schools that send the majority of students in the area to Gregory Lincoln.  The parents in the area have expressed great concern for their children’s education and Gregory-Lincoln has made great strides in giving these students the best they can in the Arts and Sciences.   That is what drew us here at the Brilliant Lecture Series to the school.  We were taken on a tour of the school, shown the labs and variety of science projects that the students had undertaken.  The students really did enjoy Mr. Miller attending the school for the lecture.  Not only did he inspire them scientifically, he also gave a sense of accomplishment by congratulating them on the work they have done so far with the various projects that were displayed around the school.  He also inspired the children to always fight for their dreams and to never quit.  He told them of his struggle to grow past small town America where he was told that he would never accomplish his dreams and how he pushed pass adversity.  The message was well received by the children and administrators alike.

Mr. Miller was specifically fond of the fact that this school has participated and won several UIL competitions in the sciences and arts.  We were truly inspired to see all they had accomplished and the kids did a bang up job completing their gardens of which we received a tour.  Overall the campus was amazing and the students were exemplary…they really represented their school and the city quite well.  We were truly honored to have been able to provide and enjoyable lecture to such a great group of students and we thank Mr. Miller for his time, insight and words of motivation.  He was a great addition to our Brill Talks Series!

FUN FACTS:

Did you know that Sophia Loren has won over 100 various awards since the beginning of her career?

Did you know that Sophia Loren was the first actress ever to create a fragrance and clothing line?

In the 1980′s Sophia Loren was supposed to play Alexis in the primetime soap “Dynasty” but she turned down the role and Joan Collins picked it up.

Sophia Loren credits her voluptuous figure to spaghetti.

At the age of 14 Sophia Loren entered a beauty pagent but was said too be too skinny & too tall to win the beauty pagent.

QUESTIONS:

1)      Who did Sophia Loren co-star with in this 1961 epic that she could not get along with and ironically they played husband and wife?

2)      This producer is famous for his action films and has worked with many Hollywood stars including Sophia Loren and even created a company with her husband.  Who is this producer?

3)      Sophia Loren is aunt to this model & actress.  Also, this persons’ father once ruled Italy.  Who is this person and who is this persons’ famous father?

4)      What famous actress did Sophia Loren admire before she died?  Citing the fact that they both “rose from ashes.”

5)      Who was Sophia Loren’s photographer in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s?  Also, what product was this photographer likened to and why?

6)      This famous entertainer & singer told Sophia Loren “If I was as beautiful as you I wouldn’t have to open my mouth.”  Who was this entertainer?

7)      Sophia Loren starred in Legend of the Lost with “The Duke” who is “The Duke”?

8)      Where did Sophia Loren go on her first mission as an UN Ambassador?

9)      What man did Sophia Loren decline to marry for her love Carlo Ponti?

10)   What calendar is Sophia Loren known for posing in that recently wowed viewers?

Do you have any fun facts you would like to list that have not been mentioned?  If you have some you would like to showcase to prove your knowledge of Hollywood feel free to post them below!

Movies and film were also born of fashion.  From the first moving pictures, we were graced with images of people dancing in tuxedos and ball gowns…quaffed hair and pencil mustaches smiling heartily whilst enjoying the nightlife.  In the latter films new genres were created for the publics’ viewing pleasure…for example, the western was born and Frankenstein’s’ monster scared children, young women and even the rough and tough roustabout for years to come.  Yet, through it all, much like fashion the films were about art and pleasing the eye.

The films were meant to astound you and inspire inspiration…to make the mind wander and race, exploring all possibilities of the imagination.

Lastly there are the thespians and models that combined both of these eclectic worlds to make and create what we consider today’s media.  They are our heroes, our role-models, our mentors and our teachers…and above all they are artists and they have contributed so much to the growth of our society.  The individual we are presenting to you is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations and has worked alongside the National Alliance for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Maltreatment she has also contributed to many other charities.

That is why we here at the Brilliant Lecture Series are proud to celebrate and announce one of the artists that has contributed greatly to our lives and dreams:  Ms. Sophia Loren.  Now keep in mind, Ms. Sophia Loren has never shared much of her private life and this will be your one and only opportunity to see her live in person.  So get your tickets…Ms. Sophia Loren will be arriving on May 10, 2013 to lecture at Houston’s Wortham Center.  The lecture starts at 7pm.

To celebrate Professor Hawking’s visit to Houston, we have created glow in the dark t-shirts for the event. Imagine Professor Hawking looking out to the audience and seeing the constellation of glow in the dark t-shirts. These t-shirts are specifically designed for the event and we know that Professor Hawking would truly enjoy seeing his audience support him. Order your t-shirts today through the BLS Marketplace.

We still have some tickets available, if you have not purchased your tickets to this rare event, to purchase now.click here

Thanks to the Houston Arts Alliance and Power2Give, your giving is now fun, easy, and impactful. We currently have three projects listed on the website Click Here to see those hilarious videos and the impact of your contribution. We had great fun making these videos and we would love to hear your feedback. We hope you enjoy them too and let us know which video is your favorite.

With a career spanning seven decades and a tireless advocate for animals, seven time Emmy Award winner Betty White is a golden example of perseverance, humor, grace, humility and philanthropy. Purchase your tickets at BrilliantLectures.org.

Tickets: $35-$200, VIP Tickets: $1,000 www.brilliantlectures.org .

Our goal is to ensure all Conversations with Brilliance events are affordable and accessible to the general public.  Box office revenue for this event will fund less than 1/3^rd of total production cost. Without the help of our valued sponsors and donors, we would not be able to present such extraordinary speakers.  If you would like to show your appreciation  and help us continue to bring speakers of this caliber to Houston, your donations are gratefully accepted (no amount is too small). Click Here For more information on how to become involved.

In preparation for this exciting event, below is a quick pop quiz. Please answer True or False to the following.

1. Betty grew up in Illinois ?
2. Betty started her career in radio?
3. Betty made her TV debut in 1960?
4. Betty is an accomplished author?
5. Betty’s dog is called Cadillac?
6. Betty refused a major part in the film ‘As Good As it Gets’?
7. Betty favorite food is Turkey?
8. Betty’s accomplished career in Hollywood spans seven decades?
9. Betty appeared on Saturday Night Live when she was 78 years old?
10. Betty encourages senior citizens to pull pranks on the younger generation?

To see if you are correct check below…..