Virtual Season 2020-2021
Virtual Season 2020-2021
Virtual Season 2020-2021
Pianist Evren Ozel began his musical studies at age three in his hometown of Minneapolis. The winner of numerous honors and awards including scholarships from the U.S. Chopin Foundation and Young Arts Foundation, he most recently received second prize and special prizes for Best Mazurka and Best Polonaise at the 2020 U.S. National Chopin Competition securing the honor of representing the U.S.A. in the 2021 International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland. An avid chamber musician, Ozel has participated in festival across the United States.
Join Us!
Our 2023-24 season is bookended by virtuoso soloists beginning with Gohar Vardanyan on guitar and concluding with Kenny Broberg on piano. The remaining two performances feature award-winning quartets The Westerlies (brass) and Balourdet Quartet (strings).
A season that truly features something for everyone!
This season, our first three concerts will be on Sunday afternoons at 3 p.m. at Pilgrim Congregational Church. The final concert will be Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Weber Music Hall, UMD.
General Admission • Doors open 30 minutes prior to each concert
Student tickets free courtesy of Christian Eggert Violins.
BALOURDET QUARTET string quartet
Based in Boston, Massachusetts The Balourdet Quartet was formed in 2018 at Rice University in Houston, Texas. The ensemble consists of violinists Angela Bae and Justin DeFilippis, violist Benjamin Zannoni, and cellist Russell Houston. The award-winning quartet performs at numerous festivals and series across the country with 2022-23 season highlights including appearances at Chamber Music Detroit, the Grand Piano Series in Naples, FL, NEC’s Jordan Hall, Merkin Hall, and Wigmore Hall. Committed to sharing their musical values with the next generation, the quartet has given masterclasses and coachings at a number of different venues. Learn more >
TICKET OPTIONS:
SINGLE TICKETS:
Adult $28 | Senior (62+) $23 | All Students FREE
Arrive early and stay late! Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and after the concert, you’re invited to a FREE reception where you can meet Balourdet Quartet.
KENNY BROBERG piano
Crediting his first exposure to classical music to his Italian grandfather’s love of the Three Tenors, Minnesota native Kenny Broberg began piano lessons on his family’s upright piano at age 6. Performing on stages and in concert halls across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, Broberg has worked with some of the world’s most respected conductors and collaborated with numerous prestigious symphonies. In addition to his busy travel schedule, Broberg will work with students and host performances during his time on campus as the Artist-in-Residence at the University of Indianapolis. He released Sonatas by Medtner, Rachmaninov and Scriabin on the Steinway & Sons label in 2023. Learn more >
TICKET OPTIONS:
SINGLE TICKETS:
Adult $28 | Senior (62+) $23 | All Students FREE
Arrive early and stay late! Doors open at 7 p.m. and after the concert, you’re invited to a FREE reception where you can meet Kenny.
GOHAR VARDANYAN guitar
Admired for her technique, artistry, and passionate performances Armenian-American guitarist Gohar Vardanyan has performed throughout the United States and internationally. Guitar International Magazine has described her as “the complete package,” “with a musicality and emotional quality… that one would expect from someone much older than the young wunderkind.” In addition to her performing career, Ms. Vardanyan is an avid teacher. She maintains a private studio in New York City and frequently teaches master classes and guitar technique workshops during her concert travels. Learn more >
THE WESTERLIES
brass quartet
The Westerlies are a New York-based brass quartet comprised of childhood friends from Seattle: Riley Mulherkar and Chloe Rowlands on trumpet, and Andy Clausen and Willem de Koch on trombone. The ensemble explores jazz, roots, and chamber music influences to create the rarest of hybrids: music that is both "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous” (NPR Music). Education and community engagement are core elements of The Westerlies' mission and they have engaged students of all ages and abilities around the country with their innovative assemblies and masterclasses, promoting the values of cooperation and inclusion through music. Learn more >
TICKET OPTIONS:
SINGLE TICKETS:
Adult $28 | Senior (62+) $23 | All Students FREE
Arrive early and stay late! Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and after the concert, you’re invited to a FREE reception where you can meet The Westerlies.