ELENI KATZ
bassoon
Hailed for her virtuosity and vibrant musical spirit, bassoonist Eleni Katz has established herself as one of today's leading advocates for her instrument as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. Winner of the 2022 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, Eleni is praised for her "thoughtful and expressive" artistry (San Diego Union-Tribune), while The Royal Gazette has described her playing as "uncannily human" - a reflection of her lifelong belief that the bassoon should emulate the expressive qualities of the human voice.
Recent highlights include performances with Camerata Pacifica, Tippet Rise Art Center, Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, Lincoln Friends of Chamber Music, and at Carnegie Hall, CMS Lincoln Center, La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest and Newport Classical. Currently on the bassoon faculty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's Mead Witter School of Music, Eleni is also an active champion of new music, commissioning multidisciplinary works for bassoon and collaborating with double bassist Nina Bernat in their duo, Basso Vox.
Professional development activities for Eleni Katz are generously supported by Susan MacEachron and Michael Halloran.
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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 individually winning the Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition and subsequently joining the prestigious CAG roster.