Our Story…

In 2023, we created our very first full recital program. In choosing our pieces, not only did we have to think about what skills we wanted to showcase, but also how we communicate and connect with the audience. Classical music performances often feature pieces that were written by predominantly European male composers. As students, we recognize the importance of learning repertoire from such renowned composers, however, we felt that they were not enough to distinguish ourselves as a unique unit. This inspired us to choose pieces that represent our personal backgrounds, keeping certain aspects in mind such as culture, nationality, time period and atmosphere. 

Our research led us to the realization that repertoire for piano trios are quite limited, especially with pieces that resonate with our time and place today. This is when we started to question the misconceptions and fixed labels of “contemporary music”. We believe that contemporary music has so much more to offer than the stereotypical atonality, asymmetrical meter and extended technique that many people think of. This sparked our interest in working with young, up-and-coming composers who align with our philosophy.  

We launched our project with a Composers Competition, held in August 2023, calling for piano trio scores that followed the theme of Cultural Expression. The collaborator who spoke to us the most was Cole Reyes and his piece, “melt, meld, mould” (2023), which was inspired by how Reyes’s upbringing opened his eyes to the intersectionality of contrasting cultures. The piece  was premiered in New York City in May of 2024. The trio is currently working on upcoming projects with Miu Sato and Anton Kot.