NEWS
Iowa Public Radio Review of MOSAIC
"Trio 826 : Mosaic (Blue Griffin 403) Writing for string trio challenges composers because they aren't given quite enough players. While a quartet automatically allows a chord plus a melody, a trio makes you do everything with just three instruments. The challenge has inspired some real gems, as Trio 826 shows on this first album, with a range of pieces from Austria (Franz Schubert), the Czech Republic (Hans Krasa), Germany (JS Bach and Richard Strauss), Hungary (Zoltan Kodaly), Romania (Georges Enescu), Russia (Alexander Borodin), AND two new pieces from Iowa, by Rebecca Burkhardt and Robert Washut. Because each instrument has extra work to do, playing string trios is also challenging - but not, apparently, for Trio 826. And its playing is more than the sum of the highly accomplished parts. There's a communicative joy that reflects the group's origin: the players are old friends, which is why they decided to form a regular ensemble. The violist, Julia Bullard, is Professor and Associate Director of Graduate Studies at University of Northern Iowa ; the cellist, Hannah Holman, is cellist in the New York City Ballet Orchestra when she's not in Iowa being principal cellist of the Quad City Symphony; and their friend, violinist Susanna Klein, works in Virginia, 826 miles away (thus the group's name). The glorious cover art is by Lenore Vardi - herself an accomplished Iowa-resident musician, whose late husband, the legendary Emmauel Vardi, was Bullard's teacher."
Barney Sherman, Iowa Public Radio
MOSAIC CD
$12.50 + $2.50 S/H
Annoucing Trio 826's new CD - MOSAIC
About MOSAIC
When we began playing together as a trio, the classical music world was feeling the effects of the great recession: many ensembles, especially orchestras and opera companies, were struggling or even being forced to file for bankruptcy, and we had lengthy discussions about why this was happening. Our very first concert together was a show entitled “Houston, do we have a problem?” This show was half house concert, half focus group with a lovely audience in Iowa City, who shared with us their ideas about why they go to concerts and what the ideal concert experience should include. From that point on, we have continued to experiment with themes and venues, but our concerts usually have one thing in common: in addition to a longer, central work, we generally program a set of shorter, single-movement pieces that encourage conversations with our audiences. These short pieces have become such an essential part of our repertoire that when we began to think about our first CD, it was a natural fit to showcase them. These pieces are true gems, and deserve a place at the table - we hope you enjoy discovering them as much as we have!
Tracks:
1) Franz Schubert - String Trio in B-flat Major, D. 471
2) Alexander Borodin - String Trio in G Minor
3) Hans Krása - Tanec (Dance)
4) Zoltán Kodály - Intermezzo
5) Georges Enescu - Aubade
6) Rebecca Burkhardt - Holidaze
7) Johann Sebastian Bach - Organ Trio in D minor, BWV 583
8) Richard Strauss - Variations on a Bavarian Folk Song, TrV 109
9) Robert Washut - Soneando
BLOG
Here one can find various ramblings by 826 and some photos too.....
What an inspiring place to play! A small beautiful parlor in the home of France's Nobel Prize winner in Literature, Roger Martin Du Gard.
It is now a non profit oasis for art, music, theatre, Feldenkreis and more. Thanks to Madame Veronique for a very lovely couple of days making music at the Chateau.
More amazing living and playing in France!
Our second concert in France was at Musicales au Fival, a music festival up in the mountains of the Ardeche region. What a beautiful place. Along the steep Rhone-Alpes, historic ruins have been rebuilt into little B & B's and beautiful homes. Lots of amazing food (again!) and a concert that was unbelievable well received. On Thur, the 8th of August, 140 warm and intense Frenchies packed a beautiful little church In St. Etienne . Pre-concert "encontre" (get to know us) 7-8pm, 8pm dinner and wine outside, 9pm concert with many encores, and finally desert. Amazing vibe. Thank you, Michel Benheim and everyone at Musicales au Fival!
Dinner before the concert!
Champagne et vin apres le concert.
TRIO 826
Innovation in
Classical Chamber Music