Pianist Ming Tsu, violinist Lorenz Gamma and cellist Joon Sung Jun of trio FUGU, acclaimed for their charismatic and captivating performances, have performed in many of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and recently returned from a tour to Vietnam. They will offer a recital of new and familiar chamber music selections in Bridges Hall of Music (150 E. Fourth St., Claremont) at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 8, 2015. The recital is free and open to the public.
The program opens with Rebecca Clarke’s Trio for violin, cello and piano composed in 1921. Although not much of Clarke’s music was published before her death, her works continue to garner greater popularity. The Trio, was a runner-up in the 1921 composition competition as part of the Berkshire (Mass.) Festival of Chamber Music, sponsored by American patron Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge. The trio has been characterized as powerful and expansive example of the post-Romantic sonata form with the clarity of texture and Impressionist vocabulary suggested by Franck and Debussy.
The next selection, Wings for piano trio, is by contemporary composer/conductor Juhi Bansal who is of Indian heritage, and was raised in Hong Kong, and has been said to compose works that entwine those traditions with classical music. Wings has been called “strong” and “appealing” and after a 2013 performance reviewer George Wallace wrote, “Wings, as its title suggests, and draws on the form of birds in flight, and would have been entirely at home on Wild Up’s ‘Ornithology’ program.”
Following intermission the trio will perform the more familiar Piano Trio in F Minor, op. 65 by Dvořák. The piece, which has been called his most Brahmsian work, was written in 1883. In this work Dvořák blends the folk style for which he is so beloved, but has also reached his peak of writing dramatic and expressive compositions.
In choosing a program for this recital Tsu shared, “For LA’s diversified classical music listeners, we enjoy sharing a program that satisfies both their and our own curiosity with new works by living composers and also for lesser known works by great composers. At the same time we are passionate about paying homage to prolific masterpieces that possess qualities that are truly timeless and powerfully human.” She continued saying, “We are looking forward to performing again on campus at the wonderful Bridges Hall of Music!”
Trio FUGU has performed in concert halls and cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Cologne, Munich, Zurich, Geneva, New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Seoul, as well as many other cities in Europe, Asia and Latin America. The musicians of trio FUGU perform and teach regularly at numerous festivals in the U.S., Mexico, China, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kazakhstan and many European countries such as Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland, and have recorded chamber music works for Cambria Records, Centaur Records, Cuneiform Records, EAR Records, ECM Records, Innova Recordings, Suisa and Tilia Records.
Aside from concertizing the musicians of trio FUGU share an ardent dedication in educating avid young professional musicians, with their activity as teachers of their individual instruments as well as through their international educational project Chamber Music Side by Side. Tsu teaches piano at Pomona College and is also on faculty at CalArts.
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Additional Upcoming Faculty & Guest Performances
Programs are ticketless and free, with open seating.
EXCEPTION: Kronos Quartet will require a ticket for entry. See below for more information.
Kronos Quartet: David Harrington, violin; John Sherba, violin; Hank Dutt, viola; Sunny Yang, cello
8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015
Bridges Hall of Music
Admission: Tickets are fully distributed. Night-of-performance stand-by line will be available at 7 p.m. outside Bridges Hall of Music
Music by Ali-Zadeh, Laurie Anderson, Pete Townshend and more
Members from the LA Chamber Orchestra
Tereza Stanislav & Sarah Thornblade*, violins; Rob Brophy, viola; Trevor Handy, cello
8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015
Bridges Hall of Music
The complete Art of Fugue, BWV 1080
*Pomona College Department of Music faculty members