PENDLETON — The Oregon East Symphony will welcome back Argentinian violinist Tomás Cotik for the Chamber Music Festival, a favorite annual event pairing world-class chamber music performances with wine and hors d’oeuvres.

The festival is Saturday, April 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the Vert Clubroom, 345 SW Fourth St. Capacity is limited and tickets are required to attend. To purchase tickets, visit www.oregoneastsymphony.org, call 541-276-0320, or visit the symphony office from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday-Thursday, at 345 SW Fourth St.

While visiting Eastern Oregon, Cotik will participate in Blue Mountain Community College’s Arts and Culture Series. He will present a free lecture, followed by a masterclass on Friday, April 11, 4 p.m. in Bob Clapp Theatre, 2411 NW Carden Ave.

Cotik is internationally recognized as a soloist, chamber musician and recording artist, with 19 acclaimed albums and over five million Spotify streams. An associate professor of violin at Portland State University, he has received numerous honors, including a Fulbright Scholar Award, a National Endowment for the Arts Grant, and the Kamelia Massih Outstanding Faculty Prize. His recordings of Bach, Telemann, Mozart, Schubert and Piazzolla have earned high praise from Gramophone and Fanfare, with nominations for Recording of the Year.

He has published extensively on string pedagogy and interpretation and offers masterclasses worldwide. Cotik previously performed with the Oregon East Symphony as a guest soloist during the spring 2023 concert.

Joining Cotik for a series of duos and trios by Borodin, Glière, Bartók and Albeniz will be Viet Block, OES assistant concertmaster, and Zach Banks, OES principal cello. Both studied under Cotik at PSU.

“This performance,” Banks said, “beyond just the music, will serve as a long overdue reunion with our former teacher from Portland State University. Tomás was one of my chamber music coaches during my time in graduate school, so this will be a wonderful way to experience each other’s growth through these great chamber pieces.”

For the Arts and Culture Series, Cotik will provide a preview of the material he will perform at the Chamber Music Festival. During the masterclass, he will work with members of the Oregon East Symphony Youth Orchestra. The general public is invited to attend both presentations.

Nika Blasser, chair of the BMCC Arts and Culture committee chair, BMCC art instructor and Betty Feves Memorial Gallery director, is excited to welcome Cotik to the event.

“His talent and dedication to both performance and education make this a unique opportunity for our students and community to engage with a world-class musician,” Blasser said. “The combination of his presentation and master class will offer valuable insight into the artistry and discipline of professional musicianship. We highly encourage any interested community members to join us for this free presentation.”

Additional featured performances at the Chamber Music Festival include Shostakovich’s “Trio No. 2, Op. 67” performed by OES Concertmaster Lisa Robertson, cellist Ed Dixon and pianist James Cook, a selection of Baroque and Renaissance vocal chamber music directed by OES Chorale Conductor Carly Elder featuring singers Cheryl Carlson, Chris Leonard and Gabriel Elder, and a performance by the OES Youth Chamber Collective, one of the symphony’s classical music education programs for rural youth.