Praised by the International Record Review for its “complete dedication and assurance… [and for] music-making as impressive and dangerous as a granite cliff, ” Trio Appassionata is known for its communicative power, engaging performances, and the ability to bring audiences from different cultures together through music.
Trio Appassionata’s recent engagements include extensive tours of both China and Brazil. The trio toured China under the sponsorship of Wu Promotion, playing in top concert halls including the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, the Shanghai Oriental Art Center, and the Xi’an Concert Hall. The Brazil tour took the trio to Brasília, Belo Horizonte, and also included participation in the highly regarded Sesc Chamber Music Festival, during which Trio Appassionata performed a series of concerts throughout the state of São Paulo.
In 2013, the trio joined the artist roster of Odradek Records, a non-profit, artist controlled label, where it released its first CD, gone into night are all the eyes. The album features piano trios by American composers of the 20th and 21st centuries, and includes a work commissioned for the project by California-based composer Thomas Kotcheff. The trio traveled to Italy, Spain, and the U.K. as part of its CD release tour, which culminated in a recital of the CD program in its entirety at the London Festival of American Music in St. James Theatre.
As part of its commitment to contemporary music and working with living composers, Trio Appassionata has just commissioned a new work from its own cellist, Andrea Casarrubios. This work, luzAzul, was written specially for a new program entitled Passacaglia: Walking the Streets of Time, in which the trio will explore the passacaglia form in the piano trio literature.
The members of Trio Appassionata are highly dedicated to bringing music to new audiences in a variety of ways. The ensemble has performed outreach programs in public schools, libraries, and churches. In 2012, the trio was named Artist-in-Residence at Chamber Music Sedona, where it gave concerts and presentations throughout the local community. Trio Appassionata also prioritizes holding masterclasses for young solo and chamber musicians, which creates a meaningful way to connect with the next generation of musicians and audience members.
Coming from three distinct backgrounds, Trio Appassionata was formed in Baltimore at the Peabody Conservatory in 2007. While at Peabody, the trio received the prestigious Presser Award, was chosen as an Honors Ensemble, and performed at the conservatory’s 150th Anniversary Gala. Apart from its international tours, Trio Appassionata has performed extensively throughout North America at such venues as the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution, Bard College, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
Biography courtesy of the artists’ website.
