USDs Rawlins Piano Trio to perform season-opening concert
The concert program will include the world premiere performance of the “Julian Trio” by USD faculty member and composer Stephen Yarbrough. Inspired by the “Revelations of Divine Love of St. Julian of Norwich,” a 14th century mystic, the work was commissioned by the Rawlins Piano Trio. Other concert selections include the early “Trio in G” by Claude Debussy and the well-known “Trio in D minor” by Felix Mendelssohn (2009 marks the 200th anniversary of Mendelssohn’s birth).
Since its founding in 1987, the Rawlins Piano Trio has distinguished itself as a dynamic group of performers, teachers and scholars. The ensemble performs regularly throughout the United States and abroad, including recent concert and teaching tours throughout Taiwan and Panama. Owing to its expertise as a preeminent interpreter of American music, the ensemble has recorded four CDs on the Albany Records label. The fourth disc, “American Discoveries” was released in July 2009. It presents the Trio’s first commissioned composition, “Volvic Maritim,” by New York based composer Daniel Bernard Roumain. Reviewer J. Scott Morrison stated that this disc is “…another winner from the Rawlins Trio…they continue their work of bringing us American composers' music that is worth hearing…Their playing is artful, suave and pleasing.”
Named for benefactors Marjorie Rawlins and the late Robert Rawlins, the Trio continues its commissioning program with a number of new works to be premiered during the next year. For more information see the Trio’s Web site at www.rawlinstrio.com or call the USD College of Fine Arts at (605) 677-5481. To download a high resolution photo, please visit www.rawlinstrio.com/press_kit/rawlins_trio_photo1_lg.jpg.