Minnesota Varsity: Where are They Now? - Evren Ozel

Where Are They Now? spotlights Minnesota Varsity Featured and Showcase Artists from 2011 to 2016.

Pianist Evren Ozel from Minneapolis was a 2014 Minnesota Varsity Showcase Artist. He recently got in touch with Classical MPR's Christine Sweet to share his latest news.

Evren Ozel, piano, 2014 Showcase Artist

Age: 17

Hometown: Minneapolis

Attends: Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Natick, Mass.

My life has changed greatly since I participated in Minnesota Varsity. Back then, I was still living at home in Minneapolis. For the third year (my senior year) I am attending a boarding school in Massachusetts that is focused on the arts. Each year that I have been away has meant a deeper immersion into classical music performance. Last year was a pretty great year for me. I was selected as a National Young Arts finalist and got to spend a week in Miami playing chamber music with and getting to know the most talented pre-college musicians I have ever met. I made another trip down to Miami this past spring for my first ever professional gig playing a solo recital for the National Chopin Foundation. Then, I finished off my summer by having the opportunity to play my favorite concerto (Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4) with the Cleveland Orchestra at Severance Hall in the finals of the Cooper International Piano Competition where I received second prize. In mid- November I returned to Minnesota to record the From the Top radio show at the Ordway.

Now I'm back at school. I still take academic classes but I have a shorter school day and get to practice piano for the majority of my afternoon and evening. It's a great place to be because all day I am surrounded by peers that have also found their passion in the arts, be it music, dance, visual art, theater or writing/media. Of course, someday I hope to be a world class musician. But for now, I am just working on applications for college/conservatory.

Being selected as a Showcase Artist for Minnesota Varsity was an incredible experience. It was the first time I had a solo performance that was officially broadcast on the radio to such a wide audience, and the Showcase Concert was the first time that I played live on the radio. Knowing that I had been selected by other musicians made me feel confident that I could do it and hopeful that I could pursue this as my life's work.