DELPHI TRIO piano trio
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ARTISTSAriel
“Listening in concert to the Delphi Trio is experiencing sheer beauty.
These three wonderful artists offer music making of the highest
rank, as one very seldom encounters. Integrity and sincerity
combined with amazing musical depth and joy. I was deeply
touched by their stunning performances of music by Brahms,
Mendelssohn, and Ravel.”
–Henk Guittart, Violist, Schoenberg Quartet (1976-2009); Artistic Director,
Fall and Winter Music Programs, The Banff Centre (2006-2013)
“…rich and committed string tone, dazzling pianism, rhythmic
flexibility and risky tempi…”
–Richard Storm, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
“Articulate, expressive work at the keyboard was matched by spot-on
ensemble playing and a beautifully blended sound from the strings…
The Delphi players brought to [Ravel’s] masterpiece an impressive
dynamic variety, from cataclysmic keyboard fortissimos (accompa-
nied by frenetic bursts of string arpeggios) to ethereal pastel mists
singed by softly sustained harmonics…LaDeur’s assured virtuosity
was complemented by first-rate string playing…”
–Loren Ludwig, San Francisco Classical Voice
“…Delphi captured those evocative qualities that one would
associate with the best of lyric poetry.”
–Stephen Smoliar, San Francisco Examiner
short bio
press
Praised for “…spot-on ensemble playing and a beautifully blended sound…” (San Francisco Classical Voice), the Delphi Trio
burst onto the classical music scene in 2010 and have since become known for their intensity and communicative power.
The Delphi Trio’s repertoire is grounded in the immensely rich classic literature combined with great works of our time. Delphi
have commissioned and premiered works by Sahba Aminikia and Max Stoffregen and are currently developing a new project with
William Bolcom.
The Trio have completed artistic residencies at the Bear Valley Music Festival, Old First Concerts in San Francisco, Dakota Sky Interna-
tional Piano Festival, and the Banff Centre for the Arts. The 2013-2014 season includes appearances at Redwood Arts Council, Sunset
Concerts, and the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, and an evening of chamber music with members of the San José Chamber
Orchestra curated by the Delphi Trio.
DELPHI TRIO piano trio
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ARTISTSAriel
PASSAGES
This program explores the nature of transition by examining the
passage of time, the passing of one life to another, and the passage
through suffering into inspired vision. Toru Takemitsu’s Between Tides
(1993) evokes a sonic world that manipulates the passage of time;
tranquility interrupted by surges of drama draw the listener into a
space where time stands still. Bedřich Smetana’s piano trio, written in
1855 after the death of two of his daughters, embodies the emotional
climate surrounding its creation. The trio includes a variety of folk
inspired songs and dances, making it profoundly human in its combi-
nation of joy and sadness – in the end, it is a celebration of life.
Beethoven’s Trio in B flat, Op. 97, is not only a bridge to his visionary
late music, it was also the last work that Beethoven performed publicly
at the keyboard with his deteriorating hearing. Perhaps there was also
a liberation from external considerations, as Beethoven’s late works
began to exist according to their own natural laws. The “Arch-
duke” trio has a glow of noble eloquence that has made it one of
the best loved works of the genre.
Works to be performed on the “Passages” program include:
Toru Takemitsu, Between Tides
Bedřich Smetana, Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15
Beethoven, Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97, “Archduke”
PASS THE TORCH
In this program, Delphi explore Mozart’s far reaching and multi-
faceted influence on Chopin and Saint-Saëns, two compos-
ers who carried Mozart’s spirit through their work and ideals.
Mozart’s piano trios offer a richly varied survey of the many
musical styles in his compositional palette. The last trio in G, K.
564, inhabits a world of open space, sometimes so much so that
it disconcerts. While the measures containing real darkness can
be counted on one hand, the perceptive listener will intuitively
recognize the Mozart of his later years underneath the apparent
simplicity. Chopin appeared before the public only thirty times
in his life, but when chamber music was part of the programme,
he preferred to begin with Mozart’s trio in E, K. 542. Chopin’s
forays into composition for instruments other than the piano are
relatively scarce; however, his Trio in g minor, op. 8, his only es-
say in the genre, was a work of which he was proud, with good
reason. Camille Saint-Saëns remained remarkably consistent in
his values throughout his long life, holding high the ideals of
form, clarity, and harmony expressed through taste and virtu-
osity, and looked constantly to Bach and Mozart as spiritual
mentors. His Trio in e minor, Op. 92 was written while traveling in
Algeria in the spring of 1892. The trio embodies Saint-Saëns’s
artistic priorities, yet brims with a genuine fervor and sentiment
sometimes lacking in his other works.
program offerings
DELPHI TRIO piano trio
DELPHI TRIO piano trio
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ARTISTSArielprogram offerings (cont.)Works to be performed on the “Pass the Torch” program
include:
Mozart, Trio in G, K. 564
Chopin, Trio in G Minor, Op. 8
Saint-Saëns, Trio in E Minor Op. 92
SONG AND DANCE
As an incomparable pianist who would go on to open the inner soul
of the instrument in ways previously unimagined, Chopin’s forays
into composition for instruments other than the piano are relatively
scarce. The Trio in G Minor, Op. 8, his only essay in the genre,
was one of which he was proud and with good reason. Chopin
immediately establishes the dramatic flair and spirit of folk dance
in the first movement that continues to pervade the entire piece,
pausing only for a stunning Bel Canto style slow movement where
all three instruments work together as a single organism. Coyote
Plan (2012) was premiered in January 2013 by the Delphi Trio.
Composer Max Stoffregen brings together popular dance music
through the lens of the analogue synthesizer and its sound world.
An eclectic mix of styles, the work includes moments in a “stuttery
half time dub-step”, a quiet landscape of plaintive harmonics, and
a heavy backbeat, among others. Bedřich Smetana’s Piano Trio in g
minor, Op. 15 dates from 1855 during a time of personal upheaval
and grief. Having lost two daughters to illness within a year of each
other, Smetana began work on his piano trio which embodies the
emotional climate surrounding its creation. This work is profoundly
human in its alternation of light and darkness, joy through sadness; it
is in the end, a celebration of life.
Works to be performed on the “Song and Dance” program
include:
Chopin, Trio in G Minor, Op. 8
Max Stoffregen, Coyote Plan*
Smetana, Trio in G Minor, Op. 15
*commissioned and premiered by Delphi
FUTURE CLASSICS
Future Classics features great works by composers of our time,
exploring the dialogue between diverse musical languages.
Beginning with William Bolcom’s Haydn Go Seek, the composer
channels Haydn’s wit and some mock sturm-und-drang that
makes for a delightful opening to this program. Max Stoffre-
gen’s Coyote Plan was written in 2012, commissioned and pre-
miered by the Delphi Trio. Stoffregen brings together popular
dance music through the lens of the analogue synthesizer and
its sound world, creating an atmosphere of subtle electricity and
poignance. This is followed by Sahba Aminikia’s Deltangi-ha of
which the composer writes, “Deltangi-ha is a collection of my
memories from my homeland, Iran, where I have spent most of
my life.” Also commissioned and premiered by the Delphi Trio,
this piece contains the full range of human experience, from
the bustling chaos of Tehran to tender longing of a first love,
unexpressed. The final movement entitled Those who flew away
evokes a haunting memory of the family and friends from whom
the composer is separated. With the hypnotic dulcimer effects
in the piano, Aminikia imagines reaching out to these lost loved
ones in this powerfully dramatic conclusion. The elegant and
sensuous harmonic landscape of Takemitsu’s Between Tides
offers a thoughtful contrast to the humor and lightness of the
Bolcom and Stoffregen and also a respite from the intensity of
Aminikia’s trio. The program concludes with Babadjanian’s great
Trio in f-sharp (1952) which is one of the hidden gems of the
20th-century repertoire. It combines smoldering expressiveness
and sharp rhythmic edge in a harmonic language that is both
popular and highly erudite.
Works to be performed on the “Future Classics” program
include:
William Bolcom, from Haydn Go Seek
Max Stoffregen, Coyote Plan*
Sahba Aminikia, Deltangi-ha*
Toru Takemitsu, Between Tides
Arno Babadjanian, Trio in f-sharp minor
*Commissioned and premiered by the Delphi Trio
DELPHI TRIO piano trio
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ARTISTSAriel
CONCERTO RESIDENCY
The Delphi Trio are pleased to offer this unique series of programs
with orchestra, exploring the individuality and unity of the piano
trio. Designed as either a three or four concert residency over the
course of a season or festival, the Delphi Trio perform solo and
double concertos culminating in a performance of Beethoven’s
Triple Concerto. The following are sample programs, final reper-
toire to be determined in consultation with artist representative.
3 Concert Series
PROGRAM 1 – Jeffrey LaDeur, piano
One of the following:
Mozart, Concerto K. 271
Schumann, Concerto Op. 54
Tchaikovsky, Concerto Op. 23
PROGRAM 2 – Liana Bérubé, violin and Michelle Kwon, cello
Brahms, Double Concerto Op. 102
PROGRAM 3
Beethoven, Triple Concerto Op. 56
4 Concert Series
PROGRAM 1- Jeffrey LaDeur, piano
One of the following:
Mozart, Concerto K. 271
Schumann, Concerto Op. 54
Tchaikovsky, Concerto Op. 23
PROGRAM 2 – Michelle Kwon, cello
Cello concerto TBA
PROGRAM 3 – Liana Bérubé, violin
One of the following:
Beethoven, Concerto Op. 61
Mendelssohn, Concerto Op. 64
PROGRAM 4 – Delphi Trio
Beethoven, Triple Concerto Op. 56
MASTERCLASSES & CHAMBER MUSIC COACHINGS
Liana, Michelle, and Jeffrey believe strongly in the value and
importance of sharing their knowledge, experience, and love
for music with others through teaching. The Delphi Trio empha-
size the essential communicative aspect of chamber music and
an approach to interpretation based on the unity of the score
rather than the separation of its parts.
Having worked with students of all ages and levels of experi-
ence, the trio have become known for their inspiring chamber
music workshops and masterclasses around the country.
LECTURE RECITAL, ROLE PLAYING
In this engaging program, Liana, Michelle, and Jeffrey share
their thoughts on the dynamic music written for piano trio and
the performers’ approach to interpretation. The vast and rich lit-
erature for the piano trio requires the players to be able to shift
roles on a dime, one moment stepping forward into the spot-
light, another contributing support and energy. This program
features works by Haydn, Chopin, Brahms, Cowell, and more.
Praised for their unity of ensemble and ability to both highlight
and blend their sounds, the Delphi Trio’s Role Playing offers au-
diences of all ages a fascinating look at chamber music through
the eyes of this exceptional ensemble.
POST-CONCERT CHAT
The Delphi Trio offers an informal Q&A to audience members,
students, faculty, and presenters interested in getting to know
the ensemble and its mission. Possible topics include program-
ming, rehearsal technique, and the importance of trust among
performers of chamber music.
additional offerings
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