Rare performance coming to city

If you are unfamiliar with the impeccable pedigree of Trio Voce, it’s only because its three members rarely perform in the area.

However, this Saturday, violinist Jasmine Lin, cellist Marina Hoover and pianist Patricia Tao join forces for one of their passionate concerts at Don Piano’s Place.

Lin, a founding member of Famosa Quartet and a Grammy nominee with the Chicago Chamber Musicians, has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras worldwide.

Hoover, also a two-time Grammy nominee, was a founding cellist for the St. Lawrence String Quartet. She was propelled to international stardom after winning the Young Concert Artists auditions and the Banff International String Quartet Competition.

While both Lin and Hoover reside in Chicago, Tao is the only local representative. She is an associate professor of music at the University of Alberta and is the artistic director of the Solstice Festival. Tao is also a founding member of the Guild Trio and has performed solo in North America, Europe and China.

Tao notes that as artists, they each have different, but balanced personalities that allow them to spark off each other and create magical moments.

“Jasmine is the showman in the trio. She has this amazing facility on a violin. Marina is a more balanced personality and more soft-spoken. That’s who she is and I try to make honest music,” said Tao.

Trio Voce plays a maximum of 15 engagements per year and whenever they need to rehearse, Tao hops on a direct United Airlines flight to the Windy City.

“We just got a new manager and he’s just started, so we have a lull in our schedule and we are able to play Don’s.”

These three compelling musicians’ concert repertoire consists of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Trio Ă©lĂ©giaque No. 1 in g minor, Rebecca Clarke’s Piano Trio and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97 “Archduke.”

Rachmaninov’s single movement delivers a precise elegance with its lush beauty, yet flows with a sombre undercurrent whereas Beethoven’s trio is touted as his greatest and most beautiful piano trio, said Tao.

“It was written at the height of his powers. It has everything. It has a broad, warm measure and what he does with it is incredible.”

As the only woman in the group, Clarke is one of the most underrated, yet possibly one of the most important female composers who flourished between the two world wars.

“Her style is very passionate and there’s lots of influences from the impressionists like Debussy and Ravel.”

Since the trio first formed in 2008, it has also released two albums – In a New Light and Inscapes.

“In our concerts we hope to do justice to the music and communicate what is special to each work. There’s a certain sense of style for each composer and the difference is what makes the music so great. We hope we can communicate it to the audience.”

Opening the program is 12-year-old violinist Madyson Hobbs with accompanist Natalia Krupinoba. The Sir George Simpson Junior High student performs Camille Saint-Saens The Swan, Reinhold Gliere’s Waltz and Astor Piazzolla’s Duo 1.