Beethoven Project Trio

The Beethoven Project Trio is a piano trio that was formed in Chicago in 2008. Its founding members are pianist George Lepauw, violinist Sang Mee Lee and cellist Wendy Warner. The first public concert given by the trio was on March 1, 2009 at Chicago’s Murphy Auditorium for the world premiere of a recently rediscovered piano trio by (Hess 47) Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as the American premiere of another Beethoven trio (Anhang 3) and the Chicago premiere of yet another Trio (Opus 63); the performance also included the well-known “Archduke” Trio by Beethoven. John von Rhein, music critic of the Chicago Tribune, wrote about the trio's first concert that "for musicians who had never worked together as a trio before, pianist George Lepauw, violinist Sang Mee Lee and cellist Wendy Warner made a splendid ensemble, playing with finely judged balance, evenness of sound and unanimity of style [...] Lepauw, Lee and Warner ended their program with Beethoven’s familiar “Archduke” Trio, a masterpiece that drew fully on their individual and collective abilities. The slow movement emerged with particular eloquence here."

The Beethoven Project Trio in performance, March 1, 2009

The Beethoven Project Trio is one of the performing ensembles (along with the Beethoven Project Chamber Players) of an umbrella organization, the International Beethoven Project , which organized the trio's world premiere Beethoven performance in March 2009 and co-produced their recording along with Cedille Records. The International Beethoven Project is currently a branch of the PianoForte Foundation of Chicago.

Purpose of the Group

The purpose of the Beethoven Project Trio is to explore all of Beethoven's trio works and to approach them within the context of Beethoven's complete output and life-story. On occasion, the group will explore the trio repertoire by other composers who either inspired or were inspired by Beethoven. Of interest to the group is also the occasional commission of a new piano trio.

The Beethoven Project Trio also has a strong educational mission, which the group fulfills by giving performances in schools, giving lectures, and master classes.

When possible, the group supports charities by donating performances or by helping to raise awareness of important issues that help to make the world better, in the spirit of Beethoven's own care for humanity.

Discography

The Beethoven Project Trio made the world-premiere recording of Beethoven's Piano Trio in E flat Major, Hess 47, along with Beethoven's Opus 63 and his Piano Trio in D Major, Kinsky/Halm Anhang 3 in an edition by Robert McConnell. The recording took place in New York at the American Academy of Arts and Letters, with Max Wilcox producing for the Chicago-based Cedille Records label, and was released May 23, 2010. The CD reached #24 on the Classical Billboard Charts in its first week, and has since received great critical acclaim: “Beethoven chamber music enthusiasts will rejoice in this issue. The chance to hear splendid examples of unfamiliar Beethoven, in his most frolicsome classical vein, played with great flair by three of Chicago’s finest young musicians makes this a welcome and self-recommending release.” (Chicago Tribune’s CD of the week, July 8, 2010)

Radio and television

The Beethoven Project Trio has been featured several times on Chicago's 98.7WFMT Radio , as well as on American Public Media's Performance Today . The group was also featured on CBS Evening News February 28, 2009. Their recording has also been the featured CD of the Week at numerous radio stations across the United States, including Chicago's WFMT, New York's WQXR, and Washington DC's WETA.

Film

The Beethoven Project Trio is the subject of a documentary currently in production and directed by Emmy-Award winning film maker Mike Cahill. A short version of the film can be seen on the website of the International Beethoven Project.

External links

• The International Beethoven Project
• The Beethoven Project Trio