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Nina Bernat, double bass & Anthony Ratinov, piano
Listen to Nina’s interview with WSKG’s Bill Snyder <here>. 
Sunday, November 16, 2025 at 3pm First Presbyterian Church, 96 Main Street, Stamford, NY
Suggested donation: $15 adults, $10 students and seniors, free for ages 13 and under No reservations required.
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 honored as a recipient of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and winner of the CAG Elmaleh Competition. Recent 1st prizes include the Barbash J.S. Bach String Competition, the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition, the Juilliard Double Bass Competition, and the 2019 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition.
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.
Nina is in demand as a passionate chamber musician. She begins her involvement with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center as a member of the Bowers Program in 2024. She has spent summers at Marlboro Music Festival, Verbier Festival, Music@Menlo and Chamber Music Northwest.
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 is on the faculty of Stony Brook University.
Nina performs on an instrument passed down from her father, Mark Bernat, attributed to Guadagnini.
Hailed for his “unwavering energy and precision” (La Scena Musicale), American pianist Anthony Ratinov captivates audiences worldwide, commanding the stage with “class, style, technical mastery, and solo prowess” (Beckmesser).
Ratinov is the recent winner of the 3rd Prize at the prestigious 2024 Concours Musical International de Montréal, where he was praised for his “striking confidence in taking risks” and for his ability to “go beyond the virtuoso challenge and have fun with the music” (Le Devoir). Ratinov also won the 2nd Prize at the 2025 National U.S. Chopin Competition, and in 2023 won the 2nd Prize at the Busoni International Piano Competition with his performance of Prokofiev’s Third Piano Concerto, lauded for “sporting a pianism at the highest level… with admirable dexterity and stainless precision” (L’Ape Musicale).
Anthony has appeared as a soloist with orchestras across Europe and North America, including a recent sold-out performance of Chopin’s F minor Piano Concerto at Barcelona’s iconic Palau de la Música Catalana. His solo concert tours have spanned the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and the United States, with appearances at renowned venues such as Amsterdam’s The Royal Concertgebouw, Vienna’s ORF RadioKulturhaus, and Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center.
