Three faculty members in the West Virginia University School of Music have teamed up to create the Lyon Piano Trio, debuting Jan. 27.
“We each have a personal passion for playing chamber music, so it was natural to put a group together,” said Erin Ellis, assistant professor of cello. “The available piano trio literature is rich and diverse, and when you have like-minded colleagues, you can’t help but want to play together.”
Ching-Wen Hsiao, assistant professor of piano and Mikylah McTeer, associate professor of violin, join Ellis in the trio named after Harriet Lyon, the first woman to receive a degree from WVU.
“We felt the name was appropriate to pay homage to Harriet’s success,” Ellis said. “All-female chamber ensembles are somewhat uncommon in the industry, and we are fortunate to be part of a great community at WVU that supports innovation and works to create opportunities for everyone.”
The trio will perform Brahms’ Piano Trio in B Major, Op. 8 and “Café Music” by Paul Schoenfield.
“We chose to play these two works because they showcase two contrasting styles of the repertoire,” Hsiao said. “Both are substantial works that express a wealth of emotions and varied characters.
“Brahms’ B Major Trio was written by the composer when he was 20. The piece was full of youthful passion and spirit. More than 30 years later, Brahms rewrote the piece to the version that you will hear in the concert. It has the most romantic melody in the first movement, a mysterious and sometimes wild second movement, a conversation between a solemn piano part and the expressive strings in the third movement and a dramatic and powerful finale. ‘Cafe Music’ by Schoenfield is entertaining and virtuosic. It combines elements of Jazz, Ragtime and classical music. Both pieces require tremendous physical and mental endurance from all three players and are the perfect pieces for our debut.”
The performance, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 27 in Bloch Learning and Performance Hall at the Creative Arts Center.
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CONTACT: Bernadette Dombrowski, College of Creative Arts
304.293.3397; Bernadette.Dombrowski@mail.wvu.edu
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