Award-winning artists to be featured in Solo and Chamber Music Series 

Audiences at this year’s Solo & Chamber Music Series at Pittsburg State University can expect six memorable performances by award-winning artists. Ticket sales will begin on Aug. 24. 

This year’s series is based on the theme “Captivate.” 

From a single soloist to a large ensemble, their music captivates. We hear both the familiar and unfamiliar; often, we hear things in their performances that we did not even realize were possible,” said Professor Joanne Britz, director of the series. “Amazed by these performers’ artistry and drawn into their musical message, we invite you for another captivating musical season.” 

Concerts will start at 7:30 p.m. 

New this year: the University Ticket Office has moved to Legacy 1903 at 306 N. Broadway in Pittsburg, where tickets can be purchased in person from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Drive-through and walk-in service will be available. 

Or, buy online at pittstate.edu/tickets or on the phone by calling 620-235-4796. 

Special season rates and group rates are available by contacting the Music Department at 620-235-4466. 

Based on availability, tickets also will be sold at the door starting an hour in advance. 

SCMS Eleni Katz

Eleni Katz, bassoon 
Sept. 4, 2026 
McCray Hall 

Hailed for her virtuosity and vibrant musical spirit, bassoonist Eleni Katz has established herself as a prominent soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral player. The winner of the 2022 Concert Artist Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, she has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. 

She also has appeared with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, The Orchestra San Antonio, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Sarasota Orchestra, the Nu Deco Ensemble, and as a member of the New World Symphony. She is a member of the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music. 

SCMS Vienna Boys Choir

Vienna Boys Choir 
Oct. 30, 2026 
Bicknell Family Center for the Arts 

The illustrious group of child musicians has been delighting music lovers across the globe for six centuries with their purity of tone, distinctive charm, and diverse repertoire which includes everything from medieval to contemporary to experimental music. These gifted musicians with voices of unforgettable beauty are part of four touring choirs that hail from dozens of nations and together give more than 300 concerts a year around the world. The Fort Worth Star Telegram raves “There’s no more gratifying sound than that of children singing. And there’s no more polished ensemble of children’s voices than the Vienna Boys Choir.” 

SCMS Kenneth Broger

Kenneth Broberg, piano 
Nov. 13, 2026 
McCray Hall 

American pianist Kenny Broberg continues to build a reputation as “one of the most intelligent and intense artists on the concert stage today” (Theater Jones) with fresh interpretations complemented by a natural, honest stage presence.  

The Minneapolis native first came to international attention when he captured the silver medal at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He followed this with a bronze medal win at the 2019 International Tchaikovsky Competition, adding to previous prizes at the Hastings, Sydney, Seattle, and New Orleans International Piano Competitions. In 2021, he was named the winner of the American Pianists Association Award and received the Christel DeHaan Classical Fellowship.  

SCMS Alec Holcomb

Alec Holcomb, guitar 
Feb. 12, 2027 
McCray Hall 

Alec Holcomb began playing guitar at age six under the guidance of his father, later studying with Andrew Zohn before going on to train with David Starobin and Jason Vieaux at the Curtis Institute of Music and Judicaël Perroy at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

He has been a finalist in major international competitions including the Guitar Foundation of America and the Parkening International and has performed internationally. Trained in the classical tradition, Holcomb has developed a growing interest in original composition, drawing on that foundation to explore a broader range of musical ideas and new possibilities for the instrument. 

SCMS Zeza Trio

Zeza Trio 
April 2, 2027 
McCray Hall 

Based in Kansas City, the Zeza Trio was founded by violinist/violist Jacob Clewell, saxophonist Nick May, and pianist Sasha Bult-Ito. Zeza is defined by a sensibility as much as sound, rooted in a genuine love of classical tradition yet possessed of the virtuosity and wit to redefine it — to make something at once reverent and surprising. The trio’s programming spans centuries and styles — Romantic masterworks reimagined alongside music by living composers, approached with an audacity where nothing is off limits. 

SCMS eighth blackbird

Eighth Blackbird 
April 23, 2027 
McCray Hall 

A four-time Grammy winner, Eighth Blackbird’s mission is to move music forward through innovative performance, advocacy for music by living composers, and its legacy of guiding an emerging generation of artists. 

Hailed as “one of the smartest, most dynamic ensembles on the planet” (Chicago Tribune), Eighth Blackbird has been performing for 30 years, beginning in 1996 as a group of six undergraduates and continuing under the leadership of two founding members, Lisa Kaplan, pianist, and Matthew Duvall, percussionist. 

With accolades too numerous to mention here, the group continues to commission and premiere chamber music, both traditional and contemporary. It will perform at Pitt State as a sextet, which is their flagship and longest-running initiative. 

Tickets 

Individual concerts: 

  • $18 General Admission                  
  • $12 over 65/under 18 
  • Pitt State students are admitted free with ID 

“Any four package” 

  • $61 General Admission                   
  • $41 over 65/under 18 

Complete season (six concerts) 

  • $79 General Admission                   
  • $53 over 65/under 18 

Group Tickets - by individual advanced arrangement 

Available by individual arrangement for organized groups of 10 or more from schools, churches, senior citizens associations, etc. We ask that you call 620-235-4466 at least a week in advance to make arrangements. 

Master Classes 

Some visiting artists will present master classes as part of their visits. These will be open to the public, as well. For further information, please call the Music Department at 620-235-4466.