Eroica Trio

he most sought-after trio in the world, the Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio thrills audiences with flawless technical virtuosity, irresistible enthusiasm and sensual elegance. Whether playing the great standards of the piano trio repertoire or daring contemporary works, the three young women who make up this celebrated ensemble electrify the concert stage with their passionate performances. The New York Times writes,"They play chamber music for the concert hall. There is an edge of the seat intensity to every note they produce". The Trio won the prestigious Naumburg Award, resulting in a highly successful Lincoln Center debut and has since toured the United States, Europe, and Asia. While maintaining their demanding concert schedule, the Eroica Trio has released eight critically lauded recordings for Angel/EMI Classics Records, garnering multiple Grammy nominations. The Eroica Trio performs the Beethoven Triple Concerto more frequently than any other trio in the world, having appeared with renowned symphonies such as Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Mostly Mozart Orchestra, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Houston, New Jersey and Seattle. In addition, The Trio has performed the work abroad with Orquesta Sinfonica de Euskadi in Spain, Haydn Orchestra in Italy, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Budapest Symphony in Germany, and on multiple tours in the United States with the Cincinnati Symphony as well as with the Prague Chamber Orchestra, culminating in a Lincoln Center performance. The Eroica Trio's recording of the Beethoven Triple with the Prague Chamber Orchestra was so successful it landed this piece on Billboards Top 20 for the first time in recording history. The Trio appeared on the German television program "Klassich!" performing the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the Munich Symphony, which was aired throughout Europe. The Eroica Trio is on the vanguard of a new generation of artists who are changing the face of classical music. The first all-female chamber ensembles to reach the top echelon of its field, the Eroica Trio broke an age-old gender barrier. As the Chicago Sun Times remarked, "Our image of the piano trio is largely formed by groups like the celebrated [original] Beaux Arts, three middle-aged gentlemen who apply their wisdom and artistry to their chosen repertory. That image is about to change." The Trio took its name from Beethoven's passionate Third Symphony. Italian for "heroic"" eroica is a word that aptly reflects the ensemble's approach to music. As critics have noted, "It's been decades since this country has produced a chamber music organization with this much passion." (The San Francisco Examiner) The Trio has established a unique identity by creating innovative programs that span 300 years of music. A typical Eroica Trio concert might include the Baroque symmetries of Vivaldi, the passion of Brahms, and Mark O'Connor's Bluegrass and rock-a-billy ode to Johnny Cash, "Poets and Prophets" which was written for them. The Eroica Trio is a strong champion of new composers; each season includes an American or world premiere of a new work. Recently, the Trio premiered a new Triple Concerto by the American wunderkind Jay Greenberg and the world premiere of a work by acclaimed American composer, Kevin Puts, commissioned by Music Accord. Whatever the repertoire, "the Eroica's artistry is powerful enough that it could play the back of a cereal box and make it compelling." (The Charleston Gazette) As the official representative for New York's Carnegie Hall, the Eroica Trio opened the sold-out "Distinctive Debuts" series at Weill Recital Hall. This touring series, created to showcase rising stars of classical music, was internationally sponsored by a consortium of European halls and included performances at Konzerthaus in Vienna, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Philharmonie in Cologne, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Symphony Hall at ICC in Birmingham, and Konserthuset in Stockholm. The Eroica's performances were received with rave reviews. "The Trio plays with technical flair, raw, driven energy and high spirits. The ensemble also has plenty of charm and stage presence. It was obvious that all three musicians were having as much fun as the [Carnegie Hall] audience." (The Wall Street Journal) Immediately following its acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut, the Eroica Trio was offered an exclusive five-record contract by EMI Classics, which was extended in 2002 to include three additional recordings. The Trio's self-titled debut CD, which features works by Ravel, Benjamin Godard, a commissioned arrangement of the Gershwin Preludes, and Paul Schoenfield's Cafe Music, was awarded NPR Performance Today's "Debut Recording of the Year" and featured in Time Out New York's "Top Ten Recordings". The ensemble's second disc, "Dvorak/Shostakovich/Rachmaninoff", concentrates on the works of those composers, as well as the Trio's own arrangement of Rachmaninoff's Vocalise, and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. The New York Times noted: "Eroica's musicians have the muscle to be purely dramatic and emotional, but here they stand out for subtler reasons: all three players are soloists who have a lot to say, and every note, no matter how light, has some significance.". The Eroica Trio's critically acclaimed third recording, "Baroque" spent the first nine months after its release in the top 20 on Billboard's charts. "Baroque" includes works by Bach, Vivaldi and the Eroica Trio's own arrangement of Albinoni's Adagio. The ensemble's next album, "Pasión" features Argentinean, Brazilian and Spanish composers, including Piazzolla, Villa-Lobos and Turina. The Trio's fifth album for EMI Classics Records,"Brahms Trios Nos. 1 & 2" was released to great critical acclaim "This is a hugely stirring recording, full of strength and soul. It's very romantic very lush but well within bounds (that is, Brahmsian bounds). Over the past several weeks, I have found it hard to stop listening to this CD." (The National Review). This disc features the composer's lullaby arranged for piano trio by Sara Sant'Ambrogio. The Trio's sixth recording for EMI, "Beethoven's Triple Concerto Op. 56 and Piano Trio Op. 11" was recorded with the Prague Chamber Orchestra. The release came just prior to a four-week coast-to-coast tour of the United States with that celebrated ensemble. The Trio's most recent album, An American Journey, was acclaimed by NPR "One of the Best CD's of 2008". It features new arrangements of music from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" and Bernstein's "West Side Story" commissioned by the Eroica. Also on the CD is Mark O'Connor's "Poets and Prophets", written for Eroica and inspired by the music of Johnny Cash. In addition to its demanding concert and recording schedule, the Eroica Trio is committed to music education, giving concerts, master classes and special children's shows at schools and colleges throughout the country. The trio feels so strongly about the benefits of music that they have performed at homeless shelters, senior centers and prisons to bring the music to people who might not normally have the chance to hear live performances. Each summer, the Trio performs at music festivals throughout the world, including the Hollywood Bowl, Aspen, Mostly Mozart, Ravinia, and Spoleto, Italy. The Eroica Trio has appeared on numerous television programs, including ABC's The View, CNN's Showbiz Today, CBS and ABC News, the CBS Morning Show and Saturday Morning, A&E's Breakfast with the Arts, The Isaac Mizrahi Show, Pure Oxygen, Bloomberg TV and Fox's The Crier Report. In addition, the ladies will be featured in the international broadcast of The Artists' Way At Work, an in-depth exploration of artistic creativity. Eroica!, a special documentary about the Trio and its commissioning of a new triple concerto by Kevin Kaska, premiered on the PBS series Independent Lens and has had multiple airings worldwide. The group has been featured in such magazines as Elle, Glamour, Vanity Fair, Detour, Marie Claire, Gotham, Entrée, Bon Appétit, Time Out New York, Gramophone, Piano, Vivace, Auditorium, and Chamber Music. In addition, the ladies have graced the covers of magazines as diverse as Fanfare, Cigar, Strings, Tall, and Strad. Grand Marnier created a new cocktail dubbed "The Eroica" which was unveiled for the release of the "Pasión" recording. Chateau Sainte Michelle, a vineyard in Seattle, also named one of their vintage Rieslings in honor of the Trio.