Catch three young artists at the beginning of their meteoric rise with Musica Viva Australia
Violinist Esther Yoo, cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, and pianist Zhang Zuo are bona fide stars on the ascendant.
Hitting it off after meeting as BBC New Generation Artists in 2015, they’ve since performed as the Z.E.N. Trio across several continents and released two albums on the Deutsche Grammophon label to wide acclaim. Each member has also made serious waves as solo musicians, positioning the group as the latest in a long line of piano trios comprised of heavyweight soloists. Think Vladimir Ashkenazy, Itzhak Perlman, and Lynn Harrell, or Daniel Barenboim, Pinchas Zukerman, and Jacqueline du Pré.
With that undeniable star power in mind, Musica Viva Australia is delighted to present the Z.E.N. Trio on a multi-city tour this month. They've already garnered a five star review in Limelight Magazine, in which their playing was described as "intense, passionate, serious, exuberant, virtuosic... As individual artists, each of the three was magnificent. As a trio they were transcendent." Z.E.N. Trio will play Newcastle City Hall on August 27, where audience members will witness not one but three once-in-a-generation talents.
The group’s exemplary musicianship and seamless rapport will be on ample display in their program opener, Arno Babajanian’s Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello in F Sharp Minor. One of the ensemble’s favourite works, the Trio is grounded in an Armenian folk idiom and contains meltingly expressive melodies. You’ll be ushered into an ever-shifting emotional landscape, wistful and nostalgic one moment, and impassioned and agitated in the next.
The highly-anticipated world premiere of Matt Laing’s Little Cataclysms is the program’s centrepiece. Laing, a participant of MVA’s artistic leadership program FutureMakers, has written a piece which captures some of the melodrama that characterises many works of the Romantic era. Exploring “intimate, personal disasters in miniature form”, Little Cataclysms is a knotty, intense showcase for the Z.E.N. Trio’s technical and dramatic brilliance.
Dvořák’s ‘Dumky’ Trio will bring the evening to a roaring finish. Earthy and rambunctious, this audience favourite is another piece rooted in the folk idiom of the composer’s upbringing. Moments of melancholy and merriment alternate, before culminating in a exuberant dance that will leave everyone with a spring in their step.
Don’t miss these exceptional young artists on the brink of international stardom. Playing Newcastle City Hall on August 27 as part of a multi-city tour for Musica Viva Australia, secure your seats today – $49 tickets are now available. Z.E.N. Trio will also be livestreamed to homes around the country on Tuesday August 23 at 7pm AEST. Livestream tickets are $25.
For more information and to book, visit www.musicaviva.com.au
