TRIO GAIA
Grant Houston, violin; Yi-Mei Templeman, cello; Andrew Barnwell, piano
Ludwig van Beethoven | Piano Trio in B-flat Major, op. 97 “Archduke”
00:00 - Allegro moderato
13:14 - Scherzo: Allegro
20:23 - Andante cantabile, ma però con moto
32:43 - Allegro moderato
Trio Gaia, New England Conservatory's graduate piano trio in residence, formed in 2018 and is dedicated to offering audiences dynamic, personally relevant experiences inside and outside the concert hall. Recently, the trio won 1st prize at the 2022 WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition, as well as prizes in the 2022 Premio Trio di Trieste International Music Competition, 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, and the 2019 Plowman National Chamber Music Competition.
The trio’s 2022-23 season includes events across the East Coast, including North Carolina’s Davidson College Concert Series, a return to Core Memory Music in Rhode Island, and studio recording sessions for their first album release. Past seasons have included recitals across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and Virginia, with summer appearances at the Chamber Music Workshop of the Perlman Music Program and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. During the onset of the pandemic, Trio Gaia remained active with virtual performances for Music for Food, Massachusetts Peace Action, NEC's Black Student Union, and Opus Illuminate, a series dedicated to music by composers underrepresented in classical music. In their programming, the trio is equally passionate about reviving standard works and championing new works, while also experimenting with original arrangements and compositions.
​ Dedicated to sharing classical music in the community, Trio Gaia frequently crafts educational content for students, seniors, and everyone in between, and previously served as Community Performance & Partnership fellows at NEC. More recently, Trio Gaia was invited to present weeklong residencies at the Panama Jazz Festival and the Virginia Arts Festival. Over the years, the trio has worked with Vivian Weilerstein, Don Weilerstein, Kim Kashkashian, Yeesun Kim, Ayano Ninomiya, Merry Peckham, Max Levinson, Laurence Lesser, Itzhak Perlman, and members of the Brentano Quartet and Horszowski Trio.