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Wednesday | August 20, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Zayad Building, second floor
Thursday | August 21, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby

Beethoven, Brahms and the Brain

, Violin | and , Piano

Mark Kaplan is one of the leading violinists of his generation.  He plays a violin made by Antonio Stradivari in 1685, known as the Marquis.  His consummate artistry has resulted in solo engagements with nearly every major American orchestra, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestras, the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, the Chicago and National Symphony Orchestras, and the symphony orchestras of St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Minnesota, Cincinnati and Indianapolis. He has collaborated with many of the world's most eminent conductors, among them Ormandy, Tennstedt, Maazel, Ashkenazi, Dutoit, Bychkov, Conlon, Ivan Fischer, Foster, Gatti, Masur, Rattle, Robertson, Salonen, Semkov, Skrowaczewski, Slatkin and Zinman; and has appeared regularly at festivals such as Aspen, Blossom, Chautauqua, Grant Park, and Ravinia. He has released numerous CDs including concerti of Berg and Stravinsky, the Lalo Symphonie Espagnole and the Concierto Espagnol of Joan Manen, all under the baton of Lawrence Foster, as well as Lewis Spratlan¡¯s Concertino and the tone poem, Le M¨¦n¨¦trier, by Max d¡¯Ollone. Kaplan's discography also includes the Bart¨®k Violin Concerto No. 2 and Dohnanyi Violin Concerto No. 2, violin concerti of Paganini, Wieniawski and Viotti; the Brahms Double Concerto; Spanish Dances of Sarasate; various works of Bart¨®k including the Solo Sonata; violin and piano sonatas of Schumann with Anton Kuerti; and trios of Brahms, Debussy, Dvorak, Faur¨¦, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninov, Saint-Saens, Schubert, Smetana and Tchaikowsky. The Golub-Kaplan-Carr Trio's recording, on Arabesque Records, of Tchaikovsky and Smetana trios, received an INDIE Award for "Best Classical Album by an Ensemble."  He is a graduate of The Juilliard School, where he was a student of Dorothy DeLay and recipient of the Fritz Kreisler Memorial Scholarship.

Wednesday | September 3, 2025  | 12 p.m. | Zayad Building, second floor
Thursday | September 4 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby

: Molly Carr, Viola | Anna Petrova, Piano

Described as ¡°ravishing¡± (Strad), ¡°enlightened¡± (BBC), ¡°explosive¡± (Virginia Gazette), and ¡°irresistibly elegant¡± (Diario de Leon), violist Molly Carr and pianist Anna Petrova are rapidly compiling a remarkable list of accolades in recognition of their fiery musical expression, refined artistry, and relentless entrepreneurial dedication to social initiatives. Both acclaimed international soloists, as individuals they have won top prizes in several international competitions, and have been featured in such world-renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, and Lincoln Center. They have participated in festivals such as the Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia, MozartFest, Music@Menlo, and the Perlman Music Program, and their performances have been broadcast on CNN, PBS, NPR¡¯s ¡°Performance Today,¡± WQXR, and ABC¡¯s ¡°Good Morning America.¡±

Carr and Petrova began playing together during their years at the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music, and have since performed together across Europe, the Middle East and North America, in venues ranging from Lincoln Center to soup kitchens in New Orleans and schools in Gaza. Recent season highlights include a Carnegie Hall debut ¨C praised by the Classical Post as ¡°categorically astonishing in its beauty, ensemble, artistry, quality of sound, and almost uncanny ability to draw into the music¡± ¨C as well as recitals at the Smithsonian Museum, Jerusalem Music Center, Malaga¡¯s Sociedad Filarmonica Chamber Music Series, and Sala Clemente in Valencia. Their future engagements include a tour of China, performances and masterclasses in Spain, Israel, Italy and the US.

Their debut album ¡°Novel Voices¡± was released on Melos Records in October 2019 to critical acclaim. Spain¡¯s Classical Music Magazine Ritmo immediately chose it as one of their ¡°Top 10 CDs of the Month,¡± while Fanfare Magazine reviewed the album as ¡°magical¡± and a ¡°recording to have and hold dear, [¡­] one of the most successful viola and piano recitals ¨C technically perfect and musically involving.¡± Codalario Magazine gave the album its seal of ¡°Superior Quality,¡± listing the album as its top album of 2020 and stating, ¡°It would be hard to debut better than this.¡±

Collectively, the Duo holds faculty positions at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Bard College Conservatory of Music, and the University of Louisville, and is represented by Iberkonzert Artistic Management.

Wednesday | October 7, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Zayad Building, second floor
Wednesday | October 8, 2025  | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby Floor

Heart and Soul--Schubert Piano Trio in Eb Major

, Violin | , Cello | , Piano

This concert program features Grammy-winning violinist Robin Scott, Grammy-nominated cellist Richard Belcher, and internationally award-winning pianist Dr. Mei Rui in the magnificent and soul-nourishing Piano Trio in Eb Major by Franz Schubert, Op. 100.

Grammy-nominated New Zealand cellist Richard Belcher is the founding cellist of the Enso String Quartet, and a cellist with Saint Paul¡¯s Chamber Orchestra. With the quartet he earned highly critical accolades from recording and concertizing in many of the world¡¯s major concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center in the United States, as well as abroad in Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand.  He is also Artistic Director of Music on the Hill, and Principal Cellist of Houston Chamber Orchestra. He has taught and performed at many festivals including St. Bart¡¯s, Festival d¡¯Aix en Provence, Prussia Cove, Madeline Island, Campos do Jordao International Winter Festival, SummerFest La Jolla, and the San Miguel de Allende International Chamber Music Festival.  In demand as a teacher and chamber music coach, Richard has previously served as Faculty at Rice University¡¯s Shepherd School of Music and has given numerous masterclasses around the world. He plays an N.F. Vuillaume cello made in 1856.

Robin Scott, is one of America¡¯s rising stars on the classical music stage, has built a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster. He has appeared as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Montgomery Symphony, Orchestre National de Lille in France, and many others. He has won top prizes in the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition, the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, and the Stulberg International String Competition.  Scott is the 1st violinist of the Grammy-winning Ying Quartet. As an avid and passionate chamber musician, Scott has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, Boston¡¯s Jordan Hall, the Morgan Library, Town Hall in New York City, and other venues. His festival appearances include the Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia¡¯s Steans Institute for Young Artists, Yellow Barn, and Kneisel Hall. He has participated in the acclaimed Music from Marlboro tours, as well as tours under the auspices of the Ravinia Festival, and was a member of the Gesualdo String Quartet, the quartet-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame. Scott has served as concertmaster of the New York Classical Players.

Pianist Mei Rui, DMA, is Director of Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at MD Anderson.  She is the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials quantitatively assessing the neurophysiological impact of music-based intervention in clinical cohorts.  A Yale-trained molecular biochemist and an internationally award-winning concert pianist, she was a Medalist at the World Piano Competition in 2015, Dr. Rui was praised by the Boston Globe as a ¡°riveting virtuoso¡±, and by Boston Musical Intelligencer as a concert artist with ¡°deeply felt and intense musicality.¡± New York Classical Review writes of her Grammy-nominated recording of ¡°Three by Three¡± by Eric Nathan (Albany Records): ¡°Rui was amazing at what seemed to be impossible; an excellent pianist with extreme virtuosity.¡±  Her recent performances include all the Rachmaninoff Concerti with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Yale Philharmonic, World Doctors Orchestra, and TMC Orchestra.  She has performed at some of the most prestigious concert venues around the globe, including a season-opening concert at the Louvre Auditorium in Paris, Jordan Hall in Boston; Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Dallas; Bennet Gordon Hall in Chicago; Carnegie Hall (Weill) and Steinway Hall in New York; San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Hobby Center in Houston; Woolsey Hall in New Haven; National Concert Hall in Taipei; Lehman Hall in Santa Barbara; Beijing Concert Hall and Shanghai Grand Concert Hall. Equally active as a chamber musician, Dr. Rui has appeared at the Ravinia Festival, Perlman Chamber Music, Yellowbarn, Taos, Music Academy of the West, Norfolk, and Van Cliburn Piano Institute. She was featured as Artist-in-Residence at Yellowbarn Festival for its 2013-2015 season, and invited to serve on the piano faculty at Yellowbarn¡¯s YAP program. She has collaborated with some of the most eminent musicians in the world, including Robert Trevino, Itzhak Perlman, Emanual Ax, George Manahan, Shinik Hahm, Paul Katz, Roger Tapping, and Peter Frankl. A native of Shanghai, Mei began her piano studies at the age of 3, and was accepted into the Shanghai Conservatory of Music 3 years later. She gave her first solo recital at the age of 10 in front of an illustrious audience that included the President of Austria and other international dignitaries at the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna. At age 11, she made her orchestral debut soloing with the Beijing Radio Symphony. She won numerous regional and national competitions in China, and her performances were featured multiple times on Chinese national television and radio stations.

Wednesday | November 5, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, West Lobby

Rhapsodic Virtuosity¡ªMendelssohn, Paganini, and Ravel 

, Violin | , Cello | , Piano

Spanish-born violinist Francisco Fullana, winner of the 2018 Avery Fisher Career Grant, has been hailed as an "amazing talent" (Gustavo Dudamel) and "frighteningly awesome" (Buffalo News). His solo violin album Bach¡¯s Long Shadow, was named BBC Music Magazine¡¯s Instrumental Choice of the Month. Its five star review stated: ¡®Fullana manages to combine Itzhak Perlman's warmth with the aristocratic poise of Henryk Szeryng'.  He has collaborated with conducting greats like Sir Colin Davis, Hans Graf, and Gustavo Dudamel. Besides his career as a soloist, which includes recent debuts with the Philadelphia and St. Paul Chamber Orchestras and a residency with Apollo¡¯s Fire, he is also an innovative educator, having created the Fortissimo Youth Initiative and co-founded San Antonio¡¯s Classical Music Institute. He is an alum of CMS¡¯s Bowers Program. A graduate of the Juilliard School and the University of Southern California, Fullana performs on the 1735 Mary Portman ex-Kreisler Guarneri del Ges¨´ violin, on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago. Francisco¡¯s love for conductor-less leading and program curating has led to his new roles starting in the 24/25 season both as Artist-in-Residence of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia at Kimmel Center and Artistic Advisor and Curator at The Orchestra of San Antonio. Highlights of his upcoming concerto engagements include debuts with The Florida Orchestra, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Recife, and ?¨®d? Symphonies, as well as returns with the Tucson and Balearic Islands Symphonies among others. Francisco Fullana performs on the 1735 "Mary Portman" ex-Kreisler Guarneri del Ges¨´ violin, kindly on loan from Clement and Karen Arrison through the Stradivari Society of Chicago.

Renowned cellist Valentin Radutiu is the newly appointed Professor of Cello at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University.  Radutiu has served as the principal cellist of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester (DSO) Berlin since 2019 and has extensive experience as a concerto soloist, having performed with renowned orchestras such as the Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, National Romanian Symphony and Bucharest Radio Orchestra. Since 2021, Radutiu has been a professor of cello at the Hochschule f¨¹r Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden, Germany. Additionally, Radutiu has served as a guest principal cellist with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Munich Radio Orchestra while also taking on the role of guest section cellist with the Berlin Philharmonic.  Radutiu is an active recording artist with eight albums, including the Haydn cello concertos and Enescu complete works for cello and piano as well as lesser-known concertos of the classical period, expressing his curiosity for cello repertoire beyond the expected. Radutiu¡¯s accolades include victories at national and international competitions such as the International Karl Davidov Competition in Riga, Latvia, and the Music Prize of German Business, one of Germany¡¯s most prestigious awards for emerging musicians. In 2011, he won second prize at the International Enescu Competition in Bucharest, Romania. Radudiu studied at prominent European institutions, including the Mozarteum University Salzburg, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the School of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. He said his teachers ¡ª Clemens Hagen, Heinrich Schiff and David Geringas ¡ª have shaped not only his musical abilities but also his philosophy on education.  Radutiu plays on a cello by Francesco Ruggieri (Cremona, 1686).

Pianist Mei Rui is Director of Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at MD Anderson.  She is the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials quantitatively assessing the neurophysiological impact of music-based intervention in clinical cohorts.  A Yale-trained molecular biochemist and an internationally award-winning concert pianist, she was a Medalist at the World Piano Competition in 2015, Dr. Rui was praised by the Boston Globe as a ¡°riveting virtuoso¡±, and by Boston Musical Intelligencer as a concert artist with ¡°deeply felt and intense musicality.¡± New York Classical Review writes of her Grammy-nominated recording of ¡°Three by Three¡± by Eric Nathan (Albany Records): ¡°Rui was amazing at what seemed to be impossible; an excellent pianist with extreme virtuosity.¡±  Her recent performances include all the Rachmaninoff Concerti with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Yale Philharmonic, World Doctors Orchestra, and TMC Orchestra.  She has performed at some of the most prestigious concert venues around the globe, including a season-opening concert at the Louvre Auditorium in Paris, Jordan Hall in Boston; Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Dallas; Bennet Gordon Hall in Chicago; Carnegie Hall (Weill) and Steinway Hall in New York; San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Hobby Center in Houston; Woolsey Hall in New Haven; National Concert Hall in Taipei; Lehman Hall in Santa Barbara; Beijing Concert Hall and Shanghai Grand Concert Hall. Equally active as a chamber musician, Dr. Rui has appeared at the Ravinia Festival, Perlman Chamber Music, Yellowbarn, Taos, Music Academy of the West, Norfolk, and Van Cliburn Piano Institute. She was featured as Artist-in-Residence at Yellowbarn Festival for its 2013-2015 season, and invited to serve on the piano faculty at Yellowbarn¡¯s YAP program. She has collaborated with some of the most eminent musicians in the world, including Robert Trevino, Itzhak Perlman, Emanual Ax, George Manahan, Shinik Hahm, Paul Katz, Roger Tapping, and Peter Frankl. A native of Shanghai, Mei began her piano studies at the age of 3, and was accepted into the Shanghai Conservatory of Music 3 years later. She gave her first solo recital at the age of 10 in front of an illustrious audience that included the President of Austria and other international dignitaries at the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna. At age 11, she made her orchestral debut soloing with the Beijing Radio Symphony. She won numerous regional and national competitions in China, and her performances were featured multiple times on Chinese national television and radio stations.

 

Wednesday | November 19, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Zayed Building, Second Floor
Wednesday | November 20, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby

¡ªA Special Performance Highlighting Lung Cancer Awareness

You are invited to experience the power of a world-class operatic performance featuring renowned artists from the Houston Grand Opera, followed by a Q & A session and meet-the-artists reception.  The artists and MD Anderson thoracic experts will share insights into protecting respiratory wellness and lung health.

Wednesday | December 4, 2025 | 4 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby

Ecstasy and Fantasy: A Special Holiday Concert featuring | , Soloist

A celebration of the power of music¡ªfeaturing Mei Rui, DMA, internationally acclaimed concert pianist, Director of Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery¡ªin the ravishing and evocative Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major, and a sumptuous sampling of orchestral holiday gems to brighten your holiday spirit!

Tuesday  | January 27, 2026 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby

: Schubert Trout Quintet

Dubbed "Houston's Indie, Conductorless Orchestra" and ¡°Best Chamber Orchestra of 2023¡± (Houston Public Media; Houston Press), the artist-led, artist-curated Kinetic Ensemble has gained increasing national recognition as an innovative and dynamic force in Houston¡¯s music scene, and an important advocate for the diversification of classical music repertoire.

Formed in 2015, the 16-member, conductorless string ensemble has been hailed for its ¡°remarkably varied and rich strata of string colour,¡± (Choir & Organ) its ¡°visually arresting¡­brilliantly executed¡± performances, and its ¡°agile virtuosity and vibrant sound¡± (Arts and Culture Texas). With a commitment to amplifying diverse, under-performed, and newly composed classical music, Kinetic has premiered over twenty works by emerging and established composers of our time, including Karim Al-Zand, Patrick Harlin, Daniel Knaggs, Paul Novak, Nicky Sohn, and Daniel Temkin; and has championed the music of composers as varied as Gra?yna Bacewicz, Amy Beach, Jennifer Higdon, Mikl¨®s R¨®zsa, Einoiuhani Rautavaara, Philip Glass, and Heitor Villa-Lobos. Kinetic¡¯s self-titled album, which explores the deep-rooted connections between musical sound and the natural world, was released in 2023 and debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical charts.

2024-2025 marks 10 years of dynamic music-making for Kinetic, and this milestone season will feature premiere performances of 12 new works by American composers; educational residencies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rice University, and Sam Houston State University; and an impressive lineup of artist-collaborators, including GRAMMY? winner and MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow Miguel Zen¨®n, the genre-defying musician Evan Ziporyn, and inspiring young composers Erberk Ery?lmaz, Mason Bynes, and Patrick Harlin. This season will also see Kinetic¡¯s return to Moody Center for the Arts and Asia Society Texas ¡ª two of Houston¡¯s innovative cultural institutions ¡ª for performances combining visual art, poetry, new music, and improvised folk traditions.

With collaboration at its core, Kinetic has partnered with numerous cultural organizations toward creating innovative and accessible performance experiences, including Asia Society Texas, DACAMERA, Center for Performing Arts Medicine at Houston Methodist, Moody Center for the Arts, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Musiqa, and NobleMotion Dance Company. Recent artist-collaborators who have joined Kinetic in performance include GRAMMY? award winners Sasha Cooke (mezzo-soprano) and Houston Chamber Choir, GRAMMY? nominee Clarice Assad (composer/vocalist/pianist), Christopher Bozeka (tenor), Yelena Dyachek (mezzo-soprano), Alexandra Smither (soprano), Charles Paul (bass), and Windsync (wind quintet).

In addition to Kinetic¡¯s debut full-length album, the ensemble¡¯s studio recordings are also featured on The Joyful Mysteries (Acis Productions, 2024), Daniel Knaggs: Two Streams (Capella Records, 2023), Pierre Jalbert: String Theory (Orchid Classics, 2021), and Studies in Nature: New Music by Karim Al-Zand (Centaur Records, 2018).

Thursday | February 19, 2026 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby

Grammy-winning Violinist | Rochester Philharmonic Principal Cellist

Robin Scott has appeared as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Montgomery Symphony, Orchestre National de Lille in France, and many others. He has given numerous recitals and performances throughout the United States and abroad, in such venues as Carnegie¡¯s Weill Recital Hall and the Schubert Club in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Scott is also the newest member of Eastman¡¯s string quartet-in-residence, the Ying Quartet, as the Grammy-winning ensemble¡¯s first violinist. As an avid and passionate chamber musician, Scott has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, Boston¡¯s Jordan Hall, the Morgan Library, Town Hall in New York City, and other venues. His festival appearances include the Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia¡¯s Steans Institute for Young Artists, Yellow Barn, Kneisel Hall, and the Saratoga and Chesapeake Chamber Music Festivals. He has participated in the acclaimed Music From Marlboro tours, as well as tours under the auspices of the Ravinia Festival, and was a member of the Gesualdo String Quartet, the quartet-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame. Scott is also an accomplished and in-demand orchestral leader and has served as concertmaster of the New York Classical Players. He was guest concertmaster with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and has performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra as guest principal second violin. 

Thursday | March 26, 2026 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, West Lobby

Acclaimed Artists from of Houston

Internationally award-winning artists from the Da Camera Houston will showcase a curated collections of gemstones from the vocal jazz, harp, and chamber music repertoire.

Wednesday | April 1, 2026 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, West Lobby
Thursday | April 2, 2026 | 12 p.m. | Zayed Building, Second Floor

Duo Radutiu-Rui Plays Rachmaninoff

, Cello | , Piano

On Rachmaninoff¡¯s birthday, come experience the extravagant, symphonic, and quintessentially Romantic Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 19 by Sergei Rachmaninoff.  Renowned cellist Valentin Radutiu is the newly appointed Professor of Cello at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and Mei Rui, DMA.  Radutiu has served as the principal cellist of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester (DSO) Berlin since 2019 and has extensive experience as a concerto soloist, having performed with renowned orchestras such as the Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, Czech Philharmonic, Jerusalem Symphony, National Romanian Symphony and Bucharest Radio Orchestra. Since 2021, Radutiu has been a professor of cello at the Hochschule f¨¹r Musik Carl Maria von Weber in Dresden, Germany. Additionally, Radutiu has served as a guest principal cellist with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Munich Radio Orchestra while also taking on the role of guest section cellist with the Berlin Philharmonic.  Radutiu is an active recording artist with eight albums, including the Haydn cello concertos and Enescu complete works for cello and piano as well as lesser-known concertos of the classical period, expressing his curiosity for cello repertoire beyond the expected. Radutiu¡¯s accolades include victories at national and international competitions such as the International Karl Davidov Competition in Riga, Latvia, and the Music Prize of German Business, one of Germany¡¯s most prestigious awards for emerging musicians. In 2011, he won second prize at the International Enescu Competition in Bucharest, Romania. Radudiu studied at prominent European institutions, including the Mozarteum University Salzburg, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the School of Music Hanns Eisler Berlin. He said his teachers ¡ª Clemens Hagen, Heinrich Schiff and David Geringas ¡ª have shaped not only his musical abilities but also his philosophy on education.  Radutiu plays on a cello by Francesco Ruggieri (Cremona, 1686).

Pianist Mei Rui, DMA, is Director of Music-in-Medicine and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at MD Anderson.  She is the principal investigator of multiple clinical trials quantitatively assessing the neurophysiological impact of music-based intervention in clinical cohorts.  A Yale-trained molecular biochemist and an internationally award-winning concert pianist, she was a Medalist at the World Piano Competition in 2015, Dr. Rui was praised by the Boston Globe as a ¡°riveting virtuoso¡±, and by Boston Musical Intelligencer as a concert artist with ¡°deeply felt and intense musicality.¡± New York Classical Review writes of her Grammy-nominated recording of ¡°Three by Three¡± by Eric Nathan (Albany Records): ¡°Rui was amazing at what seemed to be impossible; an excellent pianist with extreme virtuosity.¡±  Her recent performances include all the Rachmaninoff Concerti with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Yale Philharmonic, World Doctors Orchestra, and TMC Orchestra.  She has performed at some of the most prestigious concert venues around the globe, including a season-opening concert at the Louvre Auditorium in Paris, Jordan Hall in Boston; Van Cliburn Concert Hall in Dallas; Bennet Gordon Hall in Chicago; Carnegie Hall (Weill) and Steinway Hall in New York; San Fernando Cathedral in San Antonio, Hobby Center in Houston; Woolsey Hall in New Haven; National Concert Hall in Taipei; Lehman Hall in Santa Barbara; Beijing Concert Hall and Shanghai Grand Concert Hall. Equally active as a chamber musician, Dr. Rui has appeared at the Ravinia Festival, Perlman Chamber Music, Yellowbarn, Taos, Music Academy of the West, Norfolk, and Van Cliburn Piano Institute. She was featured as Artist-in-Residence at Yellowbarn Festival for its 2013-2015 season, and invited to serve on the piano faculty at Yellowbarn¡¯s YAP program. She has collaborated with some of the most eminent musicians in the world, including Robert Trevino, Itzhak Perlman, Emanual Ax, George Manahan, Shinik Hahm, Paul Katz, Roger Tapping, and Peter Frankl. A native of Shanghai, Mei began her piano studies at the age of 3, and was accepted into the Shanghai Conservatory of Music 3 years later. She gave her first solo recital at the age of 10 in front of an illustrious audience that included the President of Austria and other international dignitaries at the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna. At age 11, she made her orchestral debut soloing with the Beijing Radio Symphony. She won numerous regional and national competitions in China, and her performances were featured multiple times on Chinese national television and radio stations.

Tuesday | May 5, 2026 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby

Music-in-Medicine Neurofeedback Collaboration: | , composer | , Principal Investigator and Piano

ROCO is Houston¡¯s deeply local, globally impactful 40-piece professional chamber orchestra with musicians and guest artists from around the globe. Livestreaming for free since 2013, our concerts have reached all seven continents. ROCO is one of the most prolific commissioning organizations in the US, reaching 150 world premieres, presented alongside classics and rarely-heard gems. Known for our use and integration of technology, ROCO invites you to turn ON your phones and iPads in the concert hall to not only view our digital program, but also to see the sheet music and interact with our content in real time. ROCO¡¯s innovative and sector-changing ROCO on the Go! initiative weaves music through the community with QR codes on signs installed in Houston¡¯s parks, hospitals, and schools, now with over 55,000 scans¡ªlinking to recordings from our vast library of past performances, providing access for all. Live audio recordings from concerts are regularly broadcast nationally on American Public Media¡¯s Performance Today show and are available for free listening in ROCO¡¯s own Listening Room as well as through all popular music streaming services. The Donne Foundation¡¯s most recent global report ranked ROCO as second internationally to the BBC Symphony in programming works by women and composers of color. Cultivating a multigenerational audience, ROCOrooters music education and childcare program offers a concert and night out for caregivers. The Nightingale, ROCO¡¯s newly published children¡¯s book, offers unprecedented delivery of interactive music and narration.

Friday | October 20, 2023 | 12 p.m.

Da Camera Artist: A Piano Recital

Works by Robert Schumann, Ludwig van Beethoven and J.S. Bach.

Featuring Jonathan Mack, piano.

Friday | October 20, 2023 | 12 p.m.

Shepherd School of Music: Brahms Trio

Featuring Sophia Mathews, Violin; Emma Potter, Horn, and Mei Rui, piano.

Thursday | November 2, 2023 | 5 p.m.

100 Years of George Gershwin¡¯s ¡°Rhapsody in Blue¡±

Featuring the , MD Anderson Neurosurgery faculty and internationally award-winning concert pianist Mei Rui, DMA, soloist. Welcome remarks by Frederick Lang, M.D., chair of Neurosurgery, and live aesthetic brain-computer interface projection based on the electroencephalogram (EEG) by University of Houston¡¯s neuroengineering team led by Jose L. Contreras-Vidal, Ph.D.

Friday | December 1, 2023 | 12 p.m.

Immortal Beloved

Piano works by Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Featuring Mei Rui, DMA, piano.

Wednesday | January 31, 2024 | 12 p.m.

The Mozart Effect

Come experience the rejuvenating and uplifting power of chamber music, performed by award-winning  violinists Astrid Nakamura and Yu-Ming Ma, violist Weilan Li, and cellist Kristiana Ignatjeva; joined by Neurosurgery faculty and concert pianist Dr. Mei Rui.  Chamber works by Mozart, Bologne, and Schubert.

Wednesday | February 14, 2024 | 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Be My Valentine

Ravishingly romantic chamber works by Anton¨ªn Dvo?¨¢k, Camille Saint-Sa?ns, and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Featuring New Zealand cellist , violinist ,  Artistic Director Alecia Lawyer and pianist .

Wednesday | March 20, 2024 | 12 p.m.

The Magnificent and the Sensuous

Beethoven ¡°Archduke¡± Trio, Op. 97 | Ravel Piano Trio, M. 67

Featuring internationally acclaimed concert artists , Violin | , Cello | , Piano

Reception to Follow

Thursday | March 21, 2024 | 5 p.m.

The Art of Musical Healing: A Piano Recital

, Piano

Reception to Follow

Wednesday | April 3, 2024 | 12 p.m.

Trio Menil

Mendelssohn Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 66; and Beethoven Piano Trio in Eb Major, Op. No.1.  

Featuring the award-winning , Grand Prize and Odyssey Chamber Music Series Award winner at the 2023 Plowman Chamber Music Competition. Jonathan Mak, Piano; Jeongwon Claire An, Violin; David Dietz, Cello

Tuesday | April 30, 2024 | 12 p.m.

Love, Brahms

Sonata for Cello and Piano in F Major, Op. 99 | Sonata for Violin and Piano in D Minor, L. 108 | Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 101

Relish the exquisite beauty, passion, and ecstasy in this all-Brahms program featuring internationally renowned artists , , and .

Reception to Follow

Thursday | May 23, 2024 | 12 p.m.

The Art of Virtuosity

Featuring internationally renowned pianist , first prize winner of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, the Vendome Prize International Competition in Lisbon, and recipient of the the Max I. Allen Fellowship of the American Pianists Association. He is an Associate Professor at BYU School of Music, and has performed to critical acclaim around the globe.  Works by Brahms, Mendelssohn, Medtner, and Liszt, with a special duet performance with  Mei Rui, DMA.

Tuesday | August 13, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Zayed Research Building, first floor 
Wednesday | August 14, 2024 | 12 p.m. | The Park (Main Building, second floor)

, Cello

Dr. Christoph Wagner is an internationally acclaimed cellist whose mission is to transform the world through music. He has performed in major concert halls in Europe such as the Berlin Philharmonie and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam under renowned conductors including Jonathan Nott, Lothar Zagrosek and Stefan Asbury, and appeared at festivals throughout Europe and the US. His international career has spanned four continents, including appearances in Switzerland, Croatia, France, Italy, South Africa, South America, China, South Korea and the US.  He received first prizes at Jugend Musiziert, Ribalta Mozart Italia in Italy, and the Peter Pirazzi Competition in Germany. Prize-winner of the National Society of Arts and Letters competition in Bloomington, Indiana, he holds scholarships from the Richard Wagner Verband in Frankfurt, the Lions Club in Karlsruhe, and the Theodor Rogler Foundation for Young Musicians. In 2018, he received the Sviatoslav Richter Grant from Rice University, followed by the Amici di Via Gabina Fellowship in 2019 for research and performances in Italy. Wagner has been a passionate music ambassador as fellowship holder from Live Music Now ¨C Yehudi Menuhin Foundation in Germany.

Wednesday | September 11, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Zayed Building, first floor lobby
Thursday | September 12, 2024 | 12 p.m. | The Park (Main Building, second floor)

, Percussion | , Flute

A Latin Flair¡ªDance with Me

Featuring Houston Symphony principal percussionist Leonardo Soto and St. Louis Symphony and Houston Symphony principal flutist Matthew Roitstein. Soto has also served as Principal Timpanist of the Charlotte Symphony from 2009 to 2018, and the Michigan Opera Theatre-Detroit Opera House from 2003 to 2009.  He has taught master classes including University of North Carolina, Eastern Michigan University, Filarm¨®nica Joven de Colombia, University of Georgia, Rice University, University of Houston, Universidad de Antioquia de Colombia and schools throughout South America. He began his musical education at the University of Chile and was the recipient of the Teatro Municipal of Santiago National Scholarship. Concurrently, he was trained as a Latin percussionist by his father, Mr. Leonardo Soto, Sr., one of Chile¡¯s most prominent musicians in the field. Leo embarked on his professional career with the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Chile, where he gained experience in orchestral, opera and ballet repertoire. 

Originally from Valencia, California, flutist Matthew Roitstein is the Principal Flutist of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He comes to St. Louis after eight years with the Houston Symphony, with whom he has toured through Europe and South America.  Previously a member of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and Sarasota Opera Orchestra, Roitstein has also performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Dallas, Detroit, and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras. Music festival appearances include the Tanglewood Music Center, Music Academy of the West, Britt Festival Orchestra, Arizona Musicfest, Aspen, and Sarasota Music Festivals. Roitstein can be heard on recordings with the Houston Symphony and New World Symphony, as well as on Gloria Estefan¡¯s 2013 album, The Standards. 

Monday | September 30, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Zayed Building, first floor lobby
Tuesday | October 1, 2024 | 12 p.m. | The Park (Main Building, second floor)

, Violin | , Cello | , Piano

Exuberant Romanticism: Schubert Piano Trio in B? Major

Featuring Grammy award-winning  1st violinist Robin Scott and Rochester Philharmonic Principal Cellist Ahrim Kim, a husband-wife duo.  Scott has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, and a top prize winner at Menuhin International Violin Competition, the Klein International String Competition, and the Stulberg International String Competition. Kim was awarded the Cassado Prize and top prizes in Houston Symphony¡¯s Ima Hogg Young Artists Competition, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition and Corpus Christi International Competition. She has performed in Kennedy Center, Boston¡¯s Symphony Hall and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

Monday | October 14, 2024 | 12 p.m. | The Park (Main Building, second floor)

Music-in-Medicine at MD Anderson presents the Monarch Chamber Players, who will showcase a unique program inspired by the stories and experiences of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients both past and present. As the disease is complex and individual in nature, each patient¡¯s story is entirely unique, perhaps the only constant being inconsistency itself. 

This program offers a small glimpse into the world of an MBC patient with a new commission by Houston-based composer, Nicky Sohn, as well as works by other living composers, including Alice Hong, Jennifer Higdon, and Kenji Bunch. The music presents a variety of colors with themes of solace in nature, life¡¯s complexity, and the necessity of community. 

Wednesday | November 13, 2024 | 3  p.m. | Zayed Building, second floor conference foyer
Thursday | November 14, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, west lobby

 and , Pianos

Two Brains, Four Hands¡ªThe Art of Piano Duos 

Winner of 10 international prizes and the 2007 silver medalist of the Cleveland International Piano Competition, Kohlberg is President?of Piano Cleveland. NPR raved, ¡°When the music ends, if you¡¯re not deeply moved by the depth of Kohlberg¡¯s insight, you might want to check your pulse.¡± Yaron Kohlberg ignites audiences through traditional and nontraditional performances, making him a leader and innovator in the world of classical music. While those crowds are often found in famous venues (Carnegie Hall, the Kremlin, Beijing¡¯s Forbidden City, Kennedy Center, and Mexico City¡¯s Bellas Artes), Kohlberg reaches beyond the concert-going public to engage new audiences with classical music in atypical places ¨C a street piano in Singapore, a hotel lobby in Marrakech, a community center in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. It is in these unexpected performances where he crosses cultural divides and awakens listeners to new experiences. Kohlberg often combines storytelling and transcriptions of popular tunes with traditional classical masterpieces, thrilling audiences and critics with his virtuosity and unique quality of sound. Audience favorites include Carmen, the theme songs from the Pulp Fiction and Mission Impossible soundtracks, ¡°Hava Nagila¡± and the children¡¯s song ¡°The Most Beautiful Girl in Kindergarten.¡±  Kohlberg also lectures and conducts masterclasses at leading institutions around the world. He speaks six languages, including Mandarin Chinese, has lived on three continents, and traveled to 85 countries.  He has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic and Jerusalem Symphony Orchestras, the Beijing and Chengdu Symphony Orchestras, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and the Palermo Teatro Massimo Orchestra in Italy.

Wednesday | December 11, 2024 | 3  p.m. | Zayed Building, second floor conference foyer
Thursday | December 12, 2024 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, west lobby

, Cello | , Piano

Director of Brevard Music Center, cellist Nicholas Tzavaras has toured the globe as a chamber musician, soloist, and educator for more than two decades. He has performed more than 1600 concerts worldwide, from Cartagena Columbia to the Tonhalle in Zurich to Nagasaki Japan.  Since 2000, Tzavaras has been the cellist of the internationally renowned Shanghai Quartet. Recent festival engagements have included the Brevard, La Jolla and Taos festivals, the Casals festival in Prades France, the Melbourne Music Festival in Australia and the Marlboro Festival.  Tzavaras has held the esteemed title of guest principal cellist of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra since 2009. He has recorded more than 25 albums for the Naxos, Delos, Bis, Centaur, Camerata, and New Albion labels, including the complete Beethoven string quartet cycle and Bright Sheng¡¯s songs for pipa and cello with Wu Man.  Tzavaras can be seen in the Academy Award nominated documentary ¡°Small Wonders,¡± the motion picture ¡°Music of the Heart¡± and with the Shanghai Quartet in ¡°Melinda Melinda.¡±

Thursday | January 9, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Zayed Building, second floor conference foyer
Friday | January 10, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, west lobby

, Violin | , Cello | , Piano

Music can heal the wounds that medicine cannot touch. ¨CDebasish Mridha, MD.

This concert program features Grammy-winning violinist Robin Scott, Grammy-nominated cellist Richard Belcher, and internationally award-winning pianist Dr. Mei Rui in two soul-nourishing works: The ¡°Dumky¡± Piano Trio by Czech composer Anton¨ªn Dvo?¨¢k, and the Cello Sonata by English composer Frank Bridge.  This concert is an art-science collaboration with the IUCRC BRAIN Center led by Cullen Distinguished Professor Jose L. Contreras-Vidal, FIEEE, FAIMBE and his team of neuroengineering graduate students, including Annel Pacheco Ramirez, Aime Aguilar Herrera, Yoshua Lima Carmona and Lianne Sanchez Rodriguez.

Grammy-nominated New Zealand cellist Richard Belcher is the founding cellist of the Enso String Quartet, and a cellist with Saint Pauls Chamber Orchestra. With the quartet he earned highly critical accolades from recording and concertizing in many of the world¡¯s major concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center in the United States, as well as abroad in Europe, South America, Australia and New Zealand.  He is also Artistic Director of Music on the Hill, and Principal Cellist of Houston Chamber Orchestra. He has taught and performed at many festivals including St. Bart¡¯s, Festival d¡¯Aix en Provence, Prussia Cove, Madeline Island, Campos do Jordao International Winter Festival, SummerFest La Jolla, and the San Miguel de Allende International Chamber Music Festival.  In demand as a teacher and chamber music coach, Richard has previously served as Faculty at Rice University¡¯s Shepherd School of Music and has given numerous masterclasses around the world. He plays an N.F. Vuillaume cello made in 1856.

Robin Scott, is one of America¡¯s rising stars on the classical music stage, has built a varied career as a soloist, chamber musician, and concertmaster. He has appeared as a soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Montgomery Symphony, Orchestre National de Lille in France, and many others. He has won top prizes in the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin Competition, the Irving M. Klein International String Competition, and the Stulberg International String Competition.  Scott is the 1st violinist of the Grammy-winning Ying Quartet. As an avid and passionate chamber musician, Scott has performed at the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, Boston¡¯s Jordan Hall, the Morgan Library, Town Hall in New York City, and other venues. His festival appearances include the Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia¡¯s Steans Institute for Young Artists, Yellow Barn, and Kneisel Hall. He has participated in the acclaimed Music From Marlboro tours, as well as tours under the auspices of the Ravinia Festival, and was a member of the Gesualdo String Quartet, the quartet-in-residence at the University of Notre Dame. Scott has served as concertmaster of the New York Classical Players.

Dr. Mei Rui is Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery and the founder and Director Music-in-Medicine at Â鶹ӳ»­ MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. A Yale-trained molecular biochemist and internationally acclaimed concert pianist, Dr. Rui is a pioneer in Music Medicine. Other academic appointments include Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the Sophie Davis Biomedical School at the City University of New York, at Yale University, and Yale School of Music. Dr. Rui was previously Assistant Professor of Music Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and in the Department of Surgery at Houston Methodist. She founded the MUSICARE Initiative, which brought over 400 live bedside concerts performed by Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax and eminent musicians from the Houston Symphony to ICU patients, their families and providers. Dr. Rui spearheads innovative clinical trials assessing the neurophysiological mechanisms and impact of music intervention and live concerts in clinical cohorts. Her research uses evidence-based repertoire-selection methodologies to mitigate intra- and peri-operative stress, alleviate pain, reduce anxiety, diminish sedative and analgesic needs, and improve sleep in cancer patients. Her investigations also harness music¡ªa powerful modulator of the human stress response¡ªto mitigate burnout and enhance empathy in healthcare providers. Medalist in the 2015 World Piano Competition, Dr. Rui¡¯s performances have been praised by the Boston Globe, Boston Musical Intelligencer, and New York Classical Review. She has performed at prestigious concert venues worldwide, including a season-opening recital at the Louvre Auditorium in Paris and the Hofburg Palace in Vienna.  She has collaborated with world-renowned artists including Emanuel Ax, Robert Trevino, Roger Tapping, and Itzhak Perlman.

Friday | February 7, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Zayed Building, second floor conference foyer

A special Valentine¡¯s concert featuring acclaimed artists from the Houston Grand Opera.

Wednesday | February 12, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, west lobby

 and Mei Rui, Piano

A former BBC New Generation Artist and recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, the quartet has performed at the BBC Proms at Cadogan Hall and is a regular guest at Wigmore Hall. In its hometown of New York, the ensemble serves as season artists of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. 

The 2023-2024 season finds the Escher Quartet embarking upon a major project-performances of the complete cycle of quartets by Bela  Bart¨®k, culminating in a single concert performance of all six at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The first-ever performance of all six Bart¨®k quartets in chronological order was given by the Emerson String Quartet in March 1981, also at Alice Tully Hall, in honor of Bart¨®k¡¯s centenary year. 

Beyond Bart¨®k, the Escher¡¯s will return to many of the illustrious music centers and organizations in America, such as the Kennedy Center, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Phoenix Chamber Music Society, Duke University, Coleman Chamber Music Association, and Savannah Music Festival, among others.

The Escher Quartet has made a distinctive impression throughout Europe, with recent debuts including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Berlin Konzerthaus, London¡¯s Kings Place, Slovenian Philharmonic Hall, Les Grands Interpr¨¨tes Geneva, Tel Aviv Museum of Art, and Auditorium du Louvre. The group has appeared at festivals such as the Heidelberg Spring Festival, Budapest¡¯s Franz Liszt Academy, Dublin¡¯s Great Music in Irish Houses, the Ris?r Chamber Music Festival in Norway, the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival, and the Perth International Arts Festival in Australia. Alongside its growing European profile, the Escher Quartet continues to flourish in its home country, performing at the Aspen Music Festival, Bravo! Vail, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Bowdoin Music Festival, Toronto Summer Music, Chamber Music San Francisco, Music@Menlo, and the Ravinia and Caramoor festivals.

Friday | February 14, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, west lobby

A special Valentine¡¯s concert featuring acclaimed artists from the Houston Grand Opera.

Thursday | February 27, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic

Yoonshin Song, Violin | Mei Rui, Piano

Join us for a special duo recital performed by Houston Symphony Concertmaster Yoonshin Song and Mei Rui. Works by Beethoven, De Falla and Shostakovich. Meet-the-artists reception to follow. This concert is an art-science collaboration with the IUCRC BRAIN Center led by Cullen Distinguished Professor Jose L Contreras-Vidal, FIEEE, FAIMBE.

Thursday | March 20, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, west lobby
Thursday | March 20, 2025| 3 p.m. | Zayed Building, second floor conference foyer

 Fei-Fei, piano | Francesca dePasquale, violin | Juliette Herlin, cello

The Aletheia Trio was formed in 2013 at the Juilliard School and quickly gave debut performances at the Rose Studio and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in New York and the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.  Highlights of recent performances include debut appearances for the Dame Myra Hess Series (Chicago, IL), Shenson Chamber Music Concerts (Washington, D.C.), PLAY the Classics at Bethel Woods (Bethel, NY), Friends of Chamber Music (Reading, PA), Macon Concert Association at Wesleyan College (Macon, GA), Concerts in the Barn (Quilcene, WA), Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach (Palm Beach, FL), Saint Vincent College Concert Series (Latrobe, PA), Shandelee Music Festival (Livingston Manor, NY), and the Busan Maru International Music Festival (Busan, Korea), which included Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Gustav Mahler Orchestra. The ensemble is named for Aletheia, the Greek concept of sincerity, which celebrates their approach to realizing musical works, as well as their connection to each other and their audiences.

Wednesday | March 26, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, Second Floor, West Lobby

Grace and Fire¡ªFeaturing David Kaplan, Professor of Piano at UCLA

Dr. David Kaplan has been called ¡°excellent and adventurous¡± by The New York Times, and praised by the Boston Globe for ¡°grace and fire¡± at the keyboard. As orchestra soloist, he has appeared with the Britten Sinfonia at London¡¯s Barbican and Das Sinfonie Orchester Berlin at the Philharmonie, as well the Symphony Orchestras of Hawaii and San Antonio. As recitalist, he has performed at the Ravinia Festival, Sarasota Opera House, Music on Main in Vancouver, Strathmore, Washington¡¯s National Gallery, and New York¡¯s Carnegie and Merkin Halls.

Balancing solo performances with meaningful collaborations, Kaplan has played with the Attacca, Ariel, Enso, Hausman, and Tesla String Quartets. As a core member of Decoda, the Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall, he performs frequently in New York¡¯s most exciting venues, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to National Sawdust, as well as creating innovative residencies as far away as Abu Dhabi, Mexico, and Scotland. He is a veteran of numerous distinguished chamber music festivals and series, such as the Seattle Chamber Music, Bard, and Mostly Mozart Festivals, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chamber Music Northwest, and Barge Music. He is an alumnus of Tanglewood and the Ravinia-Steans Institute, and performs regularly as an alumnus of the Perlman Music Program, including with Itzhak Perlman at Miami¡¯s Arsht Center. He serves as Co-Artistic Director of Lyrica Chamber Music, a community series in Morris County, NJ currently in its 36th season. Kaplan has recorded for Naxos and Marquis Records, as well as for Nonesuch. In September 2023, Bright Shiny Things will release Vent, Kaplan¡¯s debut album with his wife, flutist Catherine Gregory, to include music by Gabriela Lena Frank, David Lang, Mr. Andres, Schubert, and Prokofiev.

Thursday | April 17, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, west lobby

Romance in The Spring: Brahms and Beethoven Clarinet Trios¡ªFeaturing Richie Hawley, Clarinet | Juliette Herlin, Cello | Mei Rui, Piano

The Hawley-Herlin-Rui trio will perform two iconic masterworks including the romantic Brahms Clarinet Trio in A Minor, and the magnificent Beethoven Clarinet Trio in Bb Major.

Friday | May 2, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Zayad Building, second floor
Thursday | May 8, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, second floor, West Lobby

Schumann Piano Quintet and Ravel String Quartet:  and 

In this special concert highlighting Brain Cancer Awareness, internationally acclaimed artists from the Da Camera and Dr. Mei Rui will perform two gemstones from the chamber music literature: the radiant and captivating Schumann Piano Quintet, and the exquisite and evocative Ravel String Quartet. With Live Brain-Computer Interface mapping showcasing the powerful impact of an immersive live performance.

Monday | June 2, 2025 | 11 a.m. | Virtual Event

Just Breath: , Flute and Breast Cancer Survivor

In this special Survivorship Week event, internationally acclaimed flutist Catherine Gregory will be sharing excerpts from her 'Just Breathe' project, including newly commissioned solo flute pieces by Juhi Bansal and Kinan Azmeh, which delve into the relationship between breath, sound, and the flute, alongside works by Bach, Zgraja, and others. 

Catherine is a member of Decoda, Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall; Faculty at the Colburn School & University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and Director of the UCLA Gluck Music Fellows Program. Originally from Australian, Catherine, the winner of the Pro Musicis International Award, has cultivated a vibrant international career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator and artist citizen. Her performances span a wide range of repertoire and have taken her to renowned venues worldwide, including Alice Tully Hall, Milton Court, the Elbphilharmonie and the Sydney Opera House. As a young breast cancer survivor, Catherine also shares how her personal experience inspired her project, ¡°Just Breathe.¡±

Tuesday | June 3, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays West Lobby

The Art of Human Connection¡ªA Special Survivorship Week Concert featuring Houston Symphony Artists and live Brain-Computer Interface Mapping

, Director of Music-in-Medicine, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and internationally acclaimed concert pianist, will be joined by , Violin, and , Cello from the Houston Symphony in a chamber music concert honoring MD Anderson Cancer Survivors and caregivers. 

Wednesday | June 4, 2025 | 12 p.m. | Mays Clinic, Second Floor, West Lobby

Music-in-Medicine: The Art of Musical Healing

A Special Survivorship Week Piano Recital featuring internationally acclaimed artist , who will be sharing a special program highlighting the powerful healing impact of classical music on cancer patients, caregivers, and providers through an an immersive and emotionally evocative narrative.