We kick off this Van Cliburn year with the bronze medalist, Evren Ozel. He began studying piano at the age of three and has matured into a highly accomplished performer. Evren is the recipient of 2023 Avery Fisher and 2022 Salon de Virtuosi Career Grants, and a laureate of the Cleveland, Dublin, and Cooper International Piano Competitions as well as the winner of the 2021 Victor Elmaleh Competition. He debuted with the Minnesota Orchestra at age eleven and has since been a featured soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, and Boston Pops Orchestra.