Evren Ozel, piano

Hayes Piano Series Evren Ozel, piano Saturday, May 1, 2027, 2:00 p.m. Hopkins Bloomberg Center Theater Washington Performing Arts presents Evren Ozel, Bronze Medalist of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and recipient of the 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant, in a program as intellectually daring as it is deeply personal. Ozel interweaves Beethoven’s final three piano sonatas with selections from György Kurtág’s Játékok (Games), placing two radically different musical visions in conversation. Beethoven’s Sonatas No. 30-32 mark the close of the classical era; restless, experimental works that pointed an entire generation of romantic composers toward new terrain. Kurtág’s Játékok moves in the opposite spirit: intimate, unguarded pieces that capture the pure pleasure of a young person discovering what the piano can do. Together, they trace the full arc of what music can be, from the monumental to the joyfully spontaneous. Linger Longer: Post-Concert Discussion Following the performance, join us for a brief post-concert conversation with the artist. Event is free and available to all performance ticket holders. No registration required. The Hayes Piano Series is presented by Washington Performing Arts, in cooperation with the Peabody Institute and Hopkins Bloomberg Center.