MENDELSSOHN TRIO

The Mendelssohn Trio was founded in 1988 and named after Barbara Thiems' great-grandfather, the banker Franz von Mendelssohn – nephew of Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy and patron of the arts. The trio performs regularly in the United States and Europe. The piano trios by Cécile Chaminade, Amy Beach, Lera Auerbach and Jennifer Higdon not only represent a line of influential female composers in a traditionally male-dominated genre spanning over a century, but also the development of musical language. Chaminade and Beach are part of the Romantic tradition, emphasising lyricism, expressive melodies and harmonic colours. While Chaminade reflects elegance and salon style, Beach's work opens up the palette to stronger expression and harmonic experimentation. Auerbach and Higdon bring the piano trio into contemporary music. Together, these works show how female composers have reinvented the piano trio over time as a medium for intimacy and innovation.