Cliburn Bronze Medalist Evren Ozel Opens Portland Piano International’s 2025/2026 Timeless Recital Series
PORTLAND, OR — Portland Piano International (PPI) presents Evren Ozel, recent Bronze Medalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, in recital on Sunday, September 7, 2025 at 4:00 PM at Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland State University. Ozel’s Portland appearance, long anticipated since his originally scheduled Rising Star engagement in 2019, offers audiences a rare opportunity to experience a singular voice at the piano at a pivotal moment in his ascent.
What sets Ozel apart is not only a burnished, luminous sound, but a narrative instinct that makes familiar works feel newly discovered. His phrasing breathes with unforced clarity; transitions unfold with an inner logic that draws listeners toward the heart of each piece. Commentators at the Cliburn praised the incandescence and transcendence of his playing—qualities that, in an intimate venue like Lincoln Performance Hall, allow every nuance of color and character to land. You do not simply hear Ozel; you feel the architecture of the music revealed with uncommon sincerity.
The program traces a compelling arc across style and century: Domenico Scarlatti — Sonata in G Major, K. 427; Sonata in C Minor, K. 11; Sonata in C Major, K. 159; Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata No. 30 in E Major, op. 109; Béla Bartók — Out of Doors, Sz. 81; Gabriel Fauré — Nocturne No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 36; Robert Schumann — Carnaval, op. 9. From Scarlatti’s quicksilver brilliance and Beethoven’s inward lyricism to Bartók’s elemental outdoor scenes, Fauré’s nocturnal glow, and Schumann’s virtuosic theater, the afternoon is designed as a journey that invites discovery, reflection, and exhilaration.
Tickets & Information: www.portlandpiano.org/evren-ozel
Venue: Lincoln Performance Hall, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Date/Time: Sunday, September 7, 2025 • 4:00 PM
Evren Ozel, Program
DOMENICO SCARLATTI
Sonata in G Major, K. 427
Sonata in C Minor, K. 11
Sonata in C Major, K. 159
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
Sonata No. 30 in E Major, op. 109
BÉLA BARTÓK
Out of Doors, Sz. 81
GABRIEL FAURÉ
Nocturne No. 4 in E-flat Major, op. 36
ROBERT SCHUMANN
Carnaval, op. 9
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PORTLAND PIANO INTERNATIONAL has presented more than 220 artists in recital and through outreach activities. Some of the greatest pianists in the world of music have played for Portland audiences because of this organization. While pianists have many opportunities to play the concerto repertoire, this is one of only a handful of recital series that remains devoted to the solo piano recital. Portland Piano International is a vital part of Portland's quality cultural life and it has consistently garnered praise from both the local and national media, heralded a "consistently brilliant Piano Recital Series" (Willamette Week) and "one of this city's musical treasures" (The Oregonian).