Chamber Music Concerts and the Tutunov Piano Series present Matous Michal, violin, and Joseph Yungen, piano, on Friday, September 12th at 7:30pm at the Southern Oregon University Music Recital Hall, 450 S Mountain Ave, Ashland, OR. Purchase tickets at ChamberMusicConcerts.org or 541-552-6154.

Chamber Music Concerts (CMC) and the Tutunov Piano Series (TPS) are excited to collaborate to present these fine young artists. Joseph Yungen is a former piano student of Dr. Alexander Tutunov, and was the first winner of CMC’s Music Scholarship at SOU in 2008. After graduating from SOU, Joseph went on to earn a master's degree at the Eastman School of Music and a doctorate from the Juilliard School, and he regularly returns to the Rogue Valley to perform and visit family and friends. When Joseph contacted CMC’s Executive Director, Jody Schmidt, about playing on the series, she saw an opportunity. “Joseph is an exceptional pianist, and he was excited to tell me that he has a duo partner who he said is his ‘favorite violinist.’ He was hoping CMC could present them on our series. Our season schedule was already complete, but I knew this was an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. I spoke with Alexander Tutunov, and he agreed that this was the perfect concert for CMC and TPS to present together. We decided to donate all proceeds from ticket sales to SOU Music Scholarships.”

Dr. Tutunov has followed his student’s career since his graduation. “He never fails to delight his listeners while educating them with rarely heard yet fantastic repertoire. Joseph is more than just a ‘success story,’ he has turned into truly a world class musician (who happens to play the piano rather well!). The variety presented on this program is a huge bonus and I know this concert is going to please even the strictest critic.”

Matous Michal was appointed to the violin section of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra by Maestro Riccardo Muti in February 2016. Prior to joining the CSO, he held a position in the first violin section of the Grant Park Orchestra. A native of the Czech Republic, Matous began his violin studies at age four, and at 14, he began studies at the Prague Conservatory. After graduating he completed his bachelor’s degree at the Juilliard School and master’s degree from the Manhattan School of Music. Since joining the CSO, Matous has regularly performed new music at the MusicNow series as well as chamber music with his colleagues at the CSO chamber series.

Joseph Yungen has established an international reputation for his consistent excellence as soloist and collaborator in a wide variety of musical contexts and repertoire. Joseph has served as faculty at the Music Academy of the West, the New Jersey Young Artist Piano Competition, and Frostburg State University. Winner of the “Audience Favorite” and “Best Performance of the Music of Szymanowski” awards in the Seattle International Piano Competition, Joseph received First Prize in the Schubert Club Piano Competition in Minneapolis, the Pianist’s First Prize in the Jessie Kneisel Lieder Competition, and the Barr Award for Excellence in Accompanying at the Eastman School of Music.

The concert program features Franz Schubert’s Sonata in D Major, Op. 137 no. 1 (D. 384); Clara Schumann’s Three Romances for Violin and Piano; Bedřich Smetana’s From the Homeland; Charles Ives’ Violin Sonata no. 2; and Bohuslav Martinů’s Violin Sonata no. 3, H. 303. Tickets are $35, and can be purchased online at ChamberMusicConcerts.org or by calling 541-552-6154. All proceeds will be donated to Music Scholarships at Southern Oregon University.