Events › Made in America: Duos for Viola and Piano

This performance is part of a duo tour highlighting music by diverse composers with ties to the United States. Featuring premieres of pieces by Courtney Bryan, James Lee III, and Jay Julio, new arrangements of works by Nicanor Abelardo and Constancio de Guzman, and other works by Ernest Bloch, Astor Piazzolla, and Rebecca Clarke, the program will be performed across Michigan and the Chicago area from March 2-8, 2026. Radio appearances and masterclasses are planned to complement recitals in each location.

From Uniondale, New York, first-generation Filipino-American violist Jay Julio serves as Assistant Principal Violist of the Opera Philadelphia Orchestra and has soloed with the Ocala Symphony, the Marquette Symphony, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. They can be heard on albums from Parma, Nonesuch, and Broadway Records, including on 2025 Grammy Award-nominated release The Blind Banister.

Raised outside of Detroit, Japanese-American pianist Josh Tatsuo Cullen is acclaimed for his “astounding mixture of coolness and intensity" (Stuttgarter Zeitung) and “delicious” collaboration (The New York Times). His critically acclaimed album Scenes in Tin Can Alley features piano music of longtime Chicago resident Florence Price.

Accessibility
Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or email access@chipublib.org to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event.

Photos provided by the artists