Loft

Nina Bernat & Sam Hong: Mendelssohn, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Prokofiev

Flatiron, New York

Fri, July 11, 2025, at 7:00 PM, EDT

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: Don't bring your own drinks
: Alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks provided
Wheelchair access: Wheelchair Accessible

This is a groupmuse

A live concert in a living room, backyard, or another intimate space. They're casual and friendly, hosted by community members.

Host

Jonathan D. Superhost

Nina Bernat & Sam Hong: Mendelssohn, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Prokofiev

Gotham Arts in collaboration with Groupmuse is delighted to present an intimate private performance by double bassist Nina Bernat & pianist Sam Hong featuring works by Mendelssohn, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Prokofiev, & Joseph Achron that highlight the bass's ability to sing.

Wine will be served.

Program

SAINT-SAËNS Romance in F major, Op. 36

PROKOFIEV 5 Melodies, Op. 35

JOSEPH ACHRON Hebrew Melody, Op. 33

Intermission

MENDELSSOHN Cello Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58

CHOPIN Introduction & Polonaise Brillante Op. 3

About the Artists

Watch Nina perform on double bass Bach's Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major

About Nina Bernat

American double bassist Nina Bernat, acclaimed for her interpretive maturity, expressive depth and technical clarity, has carved out a distinctive career as a soloist, redefining the role of her instrument on the world stage. She was hailed by the Star Tribune as a "standout" for her recent concerto debut with the Minnesota Orchestra, praising her performance as "exhilarating, lovely and lyrical... technically precise and impressively emotive."

In 2023, Nina was awarded both the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and first prize at the Concert Artists Guild Elmaleh Competition. Her recent accolades also include top prizes at the Barbash J.S. Bach String Competition, Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition, Juilliard Double Bass Competition, and the International Society of Bassists Solo Competition. She has given New York recital debuts at Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Hall, and has appeared as soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra and Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra.

Engaged in all aspects of double bass performance, she has been invited to perform as guest principal bassist with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and Oslo Philharmonic, serving under the batons of conductors such as András Schiff and Osmo Vänskä. She can also be heard performing with New York-based chamber orchestra Sejong Soloists.

Widely recognized for her compelling presence in chamber music settings, Nina is a member of the Bowers Program of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and has appeared at renowned festivals such as Marlboro Music Festival, Verbier Festival, Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Northwest, and the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival.

She is quickly becoming a sought-after pedagogue, having given masterclasses at the Colburn School, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, University of Texas at Austin among others. She currently serves on the faculty of Stony Brook University.

Nina performs on an instrument passed down from her father, Mark Bernat, attributed to Guadagnini.

About Sam Hong

Praised as an "artist of enormous prowess" (Verbier Festival Newsletter) with a "wide range of rich colors" (San Diego Story) and playing that is "bold... with imagination and charm" (New York Classical Review), American pianist Sahun Sam Hong brings his uniquely magnetic tone and colorful style to recital, chamber, and concerto stages worldwide.

Hong is a prizewinner of numerous international competitions, including the Vendome Prize at Verbier (winner), International Beethoven Competition Vienna (second prize), and Naumburg International Piano Competition (third prize). He was also a recipient of a 2021 American Pianists Award.

Described as a "virtuoso, scaling realms... [with] sheer beauty of tone" (Boston Musical Intelligencer), he has appeared as soloist with orchestras including ORF-Vienna, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Camerata New York, Fort Worth, Richardson, Racine, Waco, Galveston, and Brazos Valley Symphony, and has performed at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Vienna Musikverein, Église de Verbier, Merkin Hall, and the Kennedy Center.

Hong’s solo recitals reflect a commitment to sound as architecture itself — moving beyond virtuosic displays into inner clarity and magnetic resonance. His recital programs have been praised for "honesty and authenticity... and profound insight" (Sybille Barasso), and his new recital project entitled Glowing in Stillness debuts in the 2025–26 season.

A highly sought-after chamber musician, Hong appears regularly on national tours and mainstage concerts with organizations such as Marlboro, Music@Menlo, Ravinia’s Steans Institute, and Four Seasons. He is a member of the Bowers Program (2024–27) at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

In addition to performing, Hong is a prolific arranger of chamber and orchestral works. His innovative transcriptions are performed worldwide and featured prominently in the touring programs of the ensemble132 collective, which he co-directs.

At the age of 16, Hong graduated magna cum laude from Texas Christian University (TCU), studying with John Owings. He also studied with Leon Fleisher and Yong Hi Moon at the Peabody Institute. Hong is currently based in New York City, and serves on the faculty of CUNY Queens College.