Newport, RI – Continuing its commitment to ongoing year-round programming and following two sold out concerts in January and February, Newport Classical presents its next Chamber Series concert featuring bassoonist Eleni Katz and pianist Evren Ozel on Friday, March 22, 2024 at 7:30pm at Newport Classical Recital Hall (42 Dearborn St.). In her Newport Classical debut, Eleni Katz performs music by French composers Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Noël Gallon, and Camille Saint-Saëns alongside Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Deep River, 2024 GRAMMY-winner Jeff Scott’s Elegy for Innocence, and Cindy Hsu’s Spring Fever. Katz will be joined by pianist Evren Ozel in his return to the Newport Classical stage – together the two bring to life classical bassoon repertoire exploring themes of dance styles, rhythms, lyricism, and emotion.
Newport Classical's Chamber Series takes place at Newport Classical Recital Hall in downtown Newport, known for its striking architecture and excellent acoustics. Audiences are invited to enjoy these performances by world-class classical musicians in a relaxed setting, with a complimentary glass of wine from Greenvale Vineyards. Both performers and audience members alike have described these concerts as some of their favorites. “I always enjoy the artist, but I also enjoy the attendees. Each attendee seems to have such a genuine interest in the music,” raved one concert goer. “The concert was absolutely breathtaking ... What beautiful music and a perfect setting for the performance,” said another.
Hailed for her virtuosity and vibrant musical spirit, bassoonist Eleni Katz has established herself as a prominent soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player – and one of the country’s foremost bassoonists. What makes Katz’s performances special is her approach to this instrument. Eleni Katz is a classically trained singer and has always believed that the bassoon should emulate the human voice. The Royal Gazette described her playing as “uncannily human.”
A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Eleni Katz trained at University of Wisconsin’s Mead Witter School of Music before earning her master’s degree at the Yale School of Music. In 2022, she was named a winner of the Concert Artist Guild Competition and enjoyed her Carnegie Hall debut through Young Performers Career Advancement. She performs across the country including with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Jupiter Chamber Players, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Sarasota Orchestra.
Pianist Evren Ozel has established himself as a musician of “refined restraint” (Third Coast Review), combining fluent virtuosity with probing, thoughtful interpretations. He is the recipient of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, 2022 Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant, and is currently represented by Concert Artists Guild as an Ambassador Prize Winner of their 2021 Victor Elmaleh Competition. Most recently, he was selected as a Bowers Program Artist for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Since his debut at age 11 with the Minnesota Orchestra, Ozel has gone on to be a featured soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Boston POPS Orchestra, and The Orchestra Now at Bard College.