For large-hall, big-piano-sound aficionados, Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival brings two concert grand pianos to the Orcas Center stage on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Two grand pianos, two amazingly dynamic pianists, and two fantastic Russian piano concertos.

Then, to set the tone for the beautiful, quiet post-autumn island season, OICMF offers an intimate violin and piano concert of tangos and romantic music in a lovely Orcas Island home on Saturday, Nov. 5.

One week before Jon Kimura Parker performs the Prokofiev Third Piano Concerto at Carnegie Hall, hear him perform it at OICMF’s special Carnegie Hall Concerto Preview concert, with live piano accompaniment.

The Oct. 22 concert starts at 1 p.m. Jon Kimura Parker opens the program playing Prokofiev’s spirited and dynamic Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, with up-and-coming star pianist Scott Cuellar playing the orchestral accompaniment on a second concert grand piano.

The second half of the program will feature Scott Cuellar playing Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor. Mr. Cuellar is performing the Rachmaninoff Concerto with conductor Jerry Hou and the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra in Stude Concert Hall in Houston on Friday, Dec. 2, and in tonight’s performance Jackie performs the orchestral accompaniment on second piano.

Scott Cuellar has been honored with many prestigious awards, including the gold medal at the 2016 San Antonio International Piano Competition. He is a doctoral student at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University in Houston, Texas, studying with Jon Kimura Parker.

Meet the artists at the post-concert reception in the Madrona Room with Thurston Wolfe wines and light appetizers provided by Ron and Mary Rebman from the Orcas Village Store. Tickets for this concert are $50 each and $5 for students 18 and under.

Scott Cuellar returns with OICMF Artistic Director Aloysia Friedmann on November 5th for Tangos and Romance, a violin and piano concert at 4 p.m. in an intimate setting at a beautiful home on Orcas Island.

You will be treated to lush and seductive tangos by Albeniz, Stravinsky, Schoenfield and Piazzolla, interspersed with Ysaÿe’s passionate Ballade and romantic works by Schumann, for both solo piano and violin/piano duo.

Come and enjoy this sumptuous concert with Festival friends, delicious hors d’oeuvres, and OICMF signature wines in this gorgeous Island setting. Tickets for this lovely late afternoon Salon Concert are $75 each. Seating is very limited, so get your tickets early!

Information and tickets for both events can be obtained by contacting the OICMF office, either by phone at 360-376-6636 or email at info@oicmf.org.

And save the date: this year’s OICMF Leaves of Gold concert in the Music Room at Rosario Resort will be offered one evening only, on Thursday, Dec. 8.