Born in Seoul, Korea, and educated at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York, the Ahn Trio — sisters Maria, Lucia, and Angella — will return to Edison Theatre Saturday, Feb. 28, to present a piano-trio repertoire with commissioned works by some of today’s most visionary composers.
Courtesy Photo
The Ahn Trio, from left: Maria (cello), Lucia (piano) and Angella (violin) will bring extraordinary talent and style to Edison Theatre Feb. 28.
Part of the Edison Theatre OVATIONS Series, the performance begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $32; $28 for seniors and Washington University in St. Louis faculty and staff; and $20 for students and children.
In addition, as part of the ovations for young people series, the trio will present a special matinee performance at 11 a.m. that day. With matinee tickets priced at $10, the entire family can enjoy the Ahn sisters, musicians who are setting the standard for the next generation of chamber ensembles.
Tickets are available at the Edison Theatre Box Office and through all MetroTix outlets. Edison Theatre is located in the Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd.
For more information, call (314) 935-6543 or email Edison@wustl.edu.
The evening program features “Divertissement for Violin, Cello and Piano,” the first and only trio Nikolai Kaspustin has composed for the Ahns, and Pat Metheny’s “Yu Ryung” (Korean for “ghost figure”), which the musicians premiered in summer 2008 in Mexico and performed in New York, China and Korea.
The trio will conclude its performance with selections from “Lullaby for my Favorite Insomniac,” the musicians’ latest CD, recorded on their own label, L.A.M.P. The Ahns will perform these works with special guests Taku Hirano, a top-rated percussionist who has played with Fleetwood Mac, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Dr. Dre, Stevie Nicks and Lionel Hampton; and The Kin, Australian-born brothers Thorry and Isaac Koren.
Of The Kin, Billboard Magazine noted, “The Australian siblings have a radiant gift for songwriting and performing that infuses their live shows and is winning believers in clubs across the United States. The Koren brothers’ trump cards are their vocals and dual harmonies — unaffected and quietly passionate. Hearing their partnership is a humbling experience.”
Lucia (piano), Angella (violin) and Maria (cello) have fused their work with that of dancers, pop singers, disc jockeys, electronic music artists, painters, installation artists, photographers, lighting designers, ecologists and even kite makers and have received critical acclaim for their collaborative project with the David Parsons Dance Company.
This summer, the Ahns were the only classical group to be invited to perform at the iTunes LIVE Festival in London. Their engaging live performance with Tata Bojs at the Czech Grammys led to the Ahns’ recording a collaborative album, “Smetana,” with the award-winning Czech rock band.
Next year, the trio will premiere Mark O’Conner’s “Triple Concerto” as well as Nikolai Kapustin’s second trio — works that the award-winning composers are writing.
Possessing a hypnotic combination of talent and style, the Ahns have long been inviting subjects for the international press. They made their magazine premiere as teens in Time’s cover story, “Asian American Whiz Kids,” and have gone on to frequent fashion pages the likes of Vogue and GQ. In 2003, they were named three of People Magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People.
The Ahns recently signed a multi-album exclusive recording artist contract with SonyBMG International. The trio is in high demand, performing and leading master classes and workshops across the United States and around the world. Wherever the Ahns travel, they share their innovative spirit and ever-evolving vision of music.
The Edison Theatre performances are made possible with support from the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency, and the Regional Arts Commission, St. Louis.
Calendar Summary
WHO: The Ahn Trio
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28; 11 a.m. matinee as part of ovations for young people series
WHERE: Edison Theatre, Washington University, Mallinckrodt Student Center, 6445 Forsyth Blvd.
TICKETS: Evening performance: $32; $28 for seniors and Washington University faculty and staff; $22 for students. Matinee performance: $10. Available through the Edison Theatre Box Office, (314) 935-6543, and all MetroTix outlets
SPONSOR: Edison Theatre OVATIONS Series