Trio Azura is quickly emerging as one of today’s most promising young ensembles, characterized by “intelligence and imagination” and “profound emotion” (Gramophone). They are currently the ensemble-in-residence at the Colburn School—where they formed in 2022—and study with Jonathan Brown, Martin Beaver, Clive Greensmith and Fabio Bidini. Most recently, Trio Azura was named a winner of the 2025 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and appointed YCA Jacobs Fellows, becoming the organization’s first ensemble-in-residence. Trio Azura consists of Canadian violinist Duncan McDougall, South Korean cellist Yejin Hong and Chinese pianist Yanfeng (Tony) Bai. Although they come from different backgrounds, their unique perspectives are a constant source of inspiration. In 2024, the Trio won the Grand Prize, Gold Medal, Lift Every Voice Prize and the Horszowski Trio Prize at the 51st Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. They are also prize winners at the Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China.

Performers: David Colwell Boris Vayner Daniel Ketter Ellen Sommer Presenters: Martin Nedbal Marek Pechač This event is co-sponsored by the KU School of Music, the Department of Slavic, German, and Eurasian Studies, and the Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies.

Described by The New York Times as “a genuine artist with a thoughtfully conceived and poetic interpretation,” Minsoo Sohn is a Korean American pianist known for his musical intelligence and masterful virtuosity. Sohn has toured extensively throughout North and South America, Europe and Korea. As a soloist, he has performed alongside leading orchestras, including The Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Symphony, Calgary Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, Jerusalem Camerata, Holland Symfonia, National Orchestra of Belgium, Cleveland Chamber Orchestra, Korean National Orchestra and the KBS Symphony, among others. He has collaborated with conductors such as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Pietari Inkinen and Sasha Goetzel. 2024–25 season highlights included a duo tour with fellow pianist Yunchan Lim across Korea; at the Verbier, Gstaad Menuhin and La Roque d’Antheron festivals in Europe; and a series of recitals playing Beethoven’s Sonatas across Europe—which continued in the 2025–26 season with recitals in Korea, Japan and North America. Sohn is the teacher and mentor of Yunchan Lim, the youngest person to ever win gold at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition at the age of 18 in 2022.

Basso Vox is a boundary-pushing duo that reimagines the roles and expressive possibilities of the double bass and bassoon in chamber music. Comprising two trailblazing soloists—double bassist Nina Bernat and bassoonist Eleni Katz—the duo brings a distinctly vocal approach to their transcriptions and original repertoire, highlighting the often-overlooked singing qualities of their instruments. In Latin, Basso Vox translates to “bass voice.” Recent and upcoming performance highlights include appearances at Tippet Rise, Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival, Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota, Concerts by the Pond, Music at Evergreen and the Rites of Spring Music Festival. Both originally from Iowa City, IA, Eleni and Nina began collaborating after both individually winning the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, and subsequently, joining the prestigious CAG roster.

The New York Philharmonic String Quartet comprises four principal musicians from the Philharmonic: Concertmaster Frank Huang (The Charles E. Culpeper Chair), Principal Second Violin Qianqian Li, Principal Viola Cynthia Phelps (The Mr. and Mrs. Frederick P. Rose Chair) and Principal Cello Carter Brey (The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Chair). The group was formed in January 2017 during the Philharmonic’s 175th anniversary season. The New York Philharmonic String Quartet made its debut as the solo ensemble in John Adams’s Absolute Jest in New York in March 2017 and reprised the work on the orchestra’s 2017 European spring tour. All four members are multiple-prize winners, have appeared as concerto soloists with the Philharmonic and orchestras around the world, and have appeared frequently in the Philharmonic’s chamber music series at David Geffen Hall and Merkin Concert Hall.