Photo credit Niko
Gracieux Trio celebrates their 10th anniversary with a concert performance on Oct 13th at Merkin Concert Hall. Programs they played at the event: HAYDN – Piano Trio in G major, Hob. XV: 25, “Gypsy”; SHEILA SILVER – To the Spirit Unconquered (1992); and DVORÁK – Piano Trio no. 4 in e minor, Op. 90, “Dumky”.
Gracieux Trio was founded in New York in 2003 by Gloria Shih, piano; Ryoko Arai, violin; and Yuiko Arai, cello. Together, they have performed extensively throughout the United States and Asia. In 2004, the trio made its New York Carnegie Hall debut, presented as the winner of the Artists International Chamber Music Award. The Trio has been featured at the Emerson Festival, the Ackerman Series, Chesapeake Music Festival Interlude concert and has been invited to perform at various concert halls including Tsuda Hall (Tokyo), Oji Hall (Tokyo), and Steinway Hall and Merkin Hall in New York. Their annual recitals in Japan have been broadcast live, receiving the highest critical acclaim. The trio recently was selected one of the finalists in Chesapeake Chamber Music Competition, and was the winner of Trinity Concert at One concert series. The trio released their debut album through Archi Music Inc., including the music of Shostakovich, Piazzolla, and Schoenfield. In March 2010, they toured in Japan and Taiwan, celebrating their second album, which includes the music of Ravel and Higdon. Earlier this year in January and August, the trio toured in Japan, including concerts in Kanasawa, Fukui, Tokyo, Osaka and Kurashiki.
About the musicians:
Gloria Shih (Piano): Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Gloria Shih is recognized as one of the most talented pianist of her generation. She won her first piano competition at age of eight, and subsequently received several awards including Taipei Piano Competition first prize, Taipei chamber music competition second prize, and first prize in the Schimmel Piano Competition. Ms. Shih earned her Bachelor’s degree at Soochow University as a protégé of the renowned Se-Se Chang, and has appeared in numerous solo and chamber music performances in Taiwan. Having earned her Master’s degree as a scholarship student under Lilian Kallir at the Mannes College of Music, she received a full scholarship to study with Christina Dahl at Stony Brook University. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University. Ms. Shih serves on the faculty of Montclair State University and Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music.
Ryoko Arai (Violin): Japanese-born violinist Ryoko Arai has performed throughout Japan and the United States as an active soloist and chamber musician. She was the first prize- winner at the Paranov Concerto Competition and performed Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Hartt Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Arai has received critical acclaim for her performances with various chamber groups such as the Emerson String Quartet, and with one of Japan’s leading orchestras, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa.Ms. Arai studied at Texas Christian University, the Hartt School, and State University of New York at Stony Brook where she earned her Masters and Doctoral degrees. She has participated in various masterclasses and music events including the Pacific Music Festival.
Yuiko Arai (Cello): One of the greatest young cellists of Japan, Yuiko Arai started her cello study under Junzo Sanno at the age of six. Ms. Arai came to the U.S. to study with John Waltz at the Idyllwild Arts Academy in 2001, where she also won the concerto competition and performed with the orchestra in Los Angeles. After receiving the first prize at the Kanazawa Young Artists Concert Audition in 2003, she moved to Hamburg, Germany to study at the Hochshule fur musik und theater, where she is currently a student under Wolfgang Mehlhorn. Recently she won the Toryumon Young Artists Competition in Japan and performed with one of Japan’s leading orchestra, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, and has received critical acclaim. In 2008, She got “Hiroyuki Iwaki” Music Award and was 2nd price winner of Johannes Brahms International Music Competition in Austria.
For more info about the group and future performance schedules, please visit: http://www.gracieuxtrio.com
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