Sept 27: World Premiere of Rising – New Dance Piece Opens PRAx’s Season Exploring Water

World Premiere of Rising

Performed by the Neave Trio & Pigeonwing Dance
Choreography by Gabrielle Lamb & Music by Robert Sirota

Presented by PRAx and the Oregon State University
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences

Friday, September 27, 2024 at 7:00pm
Detrick Hall at Oregon State University
470 SW 15th Street | Corvallis, OR

Tickets and Information

NeaveTrio.com | PigeonwingDance.com | www.RobertSirota.com

Corvallis, OR – On Friday, September 27, 2024 at 7:00pm, the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University launch PRAx's 2024-25 season and year-long exploration of water with the world premiere performance of Rising, an evening-length work that brings together the GRAMMY®-nominated Neave Trio, New York City’s Pigeonwing Dance, a rich score by eminent composer Robert Sirota, intricately detailed choreography by Gabrielle Lamb, and the spoken words of oceanographers and naturalists. Dances about water - rivers and oceans - are among the oldest human forms of expression; but in this time of climate change and rising sea levels, Rising takes on heightened significance. The performance will be preceded by a PRAxPRELUDE Curator's Talk, “How to Carry Water,” with Ashley Stull Meyers and Kelly Bosworth at 6pm in the Toomey Lobby.

An exploration of the human connection to Earth's oceans, Rising intertwines Robert Sirota's emotive, Iyrical music with Gabrielle Lamb's choreography, rooted in restraint and scientific inspiration. Rising, developed over three years, was initiated by the Neave Trio (violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura), whose mission “to Engage, to Exchange, to Connect” prompted them to respond through music and movement to the 2021 UN Report on Climate Change. Unusually, the musicians handpicked both composer and choreographer and have been vital to shaping the work's vision. The artists wish to bring attention to the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels on marine ecosystems, while leaving space for the hope that, in the words of naturalist Craig Foster, “we can all learn to walk a little more lightly on this planet.”

Gabrielle Lamb describes Rising’s choreography and its connection to the images of its oceanic theme: “A single dancer is onstage, moving to spoken text by an oceanographer describing oceanic gyres. Words give way to the piano’s rippling arpeggios, and more dancers enter with sinuous oscillations suggestive of sea creatures. Soon, their five bodies combine into fluent living sculptures. Eye contact connects dancers, transforming abstract movement into human interaction and hinting at multiple interrelated stories.”

About the Artists

Gabrielle Lamb: www.pigeonwingdance.com/gabrielle
Robert Sirota: www.robertsirota.com
The Neave Trio: www.neavetrio.com
Pigeonwing Dance: pigeonwingdance.com

For Calendar Editors:

Description: On Friday September 27, the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University launch PRAx's 2024-25 season and year-long exploration of water with the world premiere performance of Rising, an evening-length work that brings together the Grammy-nominated Neave Trio, New York City’s Pigeonwing Dance, a rich score by eminent composer Robert Sirota, intricately detailed choreography by Gabrielle Lamb, and the spoken words of oceanographers and naturalists. Dances about water - rivers and oceans - are among the oldest human forms of expression; but in this time of climate change and rising sea levels, Rising takes on heightened significance. The performance will be preceded by a PRAxPRELUDE Curator's Talk, “How to Carry Water,” with Ashley Stull Meyers and Kelly Bosworth at 6pm in the Toomey Lobby.

Performance details:

What: Rising (world premiere)
Who: The Neave Trio, Pigeonwing Dance, Choreographer Gabrielle Lamb, and Composer Robert Sirota
Presented by PRAx and the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University
When: Friday, September 27, 2024 at 7:00pm
Where: Detrick Hall of The Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts (PRAx) at Oregon State University, 470 SW 15th Street, Corvallis, OR 97331
Tickets and Information: www.prax.oregonstate.edu/events/rising

July 5: GRAMMY®-Nominated Neave Trio Announces New Chandos Records Album: Rooted – Featuring the Music of Bedřich Smetana, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Josef Suk, and Frank Martin

GRAMMY®-Nominated Neave Trio Announces
New Chandos Records Album: Rooted

Featuring the Music of Bedřich Smetana,
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Josef Suk, and Frank Martin

Worldwide Release: July 5, 2024

Downloads and CDs available to press on request

“[T]he Neave Trio delivers perceptively characterised interpretations that are by turns individual and blended, supported by a pleasingly warm recording.” – The Strad

www.neavetrio.com | www.chandos.net

The GRAMMY®-nominated Neave Trio (violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura), announces its latest album, Rooted, which will be released worldwide on July 5, 2024. The Neave Trio’s sixth album for Chandos Records, Rooted will feature Piano Trio, Op. 15 in G minor (1855, revised 1857) by Bedřich Smetana; Five Negro Melodies from Twenty-four Negro Melodies, Op. 59 No. 1, for Solo Piano (c. 1905) by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor; Petit Trio, Op. 2 in C minor (1889, revised 1890 – 91) by Josef Suk; and Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises (on Popular Irish Melodies) (1925) by Frank Martin.

Rooted follows A Room of Her Own, the Neave Trio’s fifth from Chandos released earlier this year to high praise and wide international acclaim. The Times, which called the recording “a richly rewarding disc,” also included the record in its roundup of ”the best albums of 2024 so far.” The Strad praised the disc’s “illustrious performances,” while Stereophile called the album “a must,” for those wanting to “spread your wings beyond the giant [composers] of the [canon].” Prior to A Room of Her Own, in 2022, the Neave Trio released their album Musical Remembrances, which was nominated for a GRAMMY® in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble category.

Rooted features a range of works centered around folk music. Smetana’s distinctive nationalistic style was largely based on the inclusion of bohemian rhythmic and melodic elements, and he was acclaimed in his native Bohemia as the father of Czech music. His Trio in G minor was composed in 1855 as a response to the death of his four-year-old daughter and shows the influence of Liszt. Josef Suk was a favorite pupil of Antonin Dvořák’s, and his early Piano Trio, while shorter in length and less intense than Smetana’s, is embedded in that Czech tradition. Also deeply influenced by Dvořák, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was inspired by his African heritage, and his Twenty-Four Negro Melodies for Piano was a prime example of his research. He subsequently arranged five of these pieces into the suite for piano trio that we hear on this album. The album concludes with Frank Martin’s Trio from 1925, which is based on several well-known traditional Irish melodies.

Of the new album, the Neave Trio writes:

“We are thrilled to introduce Rooted, our new album featuring trios by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Bedřich Smetana, Joseph Suk, and Frank Martin. Each composer drew deeply from their personal lives and cultural roots, creating musical stories that are both universal and intimate. Working on these pieces has inspired us to reflect on our own stories and how our roots shape us artistically and beyond.

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor's trio reflects his journey of navigating and embracing his dual heritage. Bedřich Smetana's trio is a passionate response to personal tragedy and his deep love for his homeland. Joseph Suk's music is intimately tied to his personal relationships and the broader Romantic tradition. Frank Martin's Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises (on Popular Irish Melodies) captures the essence of Irish melodies, showcasing his fascination with folk music and its timeless appeal.

We would like to dedicate the performance of Martin’s Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises to the memory of Ms. Mary Brosnan and Mr. Brian O’Donovan, two individuals who shared a deep appreciation for Irish music and culture. Their passion and support have profoundly influenced our understanding and interpretation of these melodies, and this dedication is a heartfelt tribute to their enduring legacy.

Through Rooted, we aim to honor the personal stories and emotions that shaped these remarkable compositions. We hope this album allows listeners to connect with the profound human experiences embedded within the music. We all come from somewhere, shaped by our backgrounds, influences and significant experiences. This album seeks to explore and celebrate that very human journey, revealing the unique insights our roots provide.”

Hailed by BBC Music Magazine for its "generous and warm-hearted, utterly beguiling playing, the Neave Trio has emerged as one of the finest young ensembles of its generation. It has been praised by WQXR Radio in New York City, with the station noting the alignment of the trio’s unique name and exemplary musicality: “'Neave' is actually a Gaelic name meaning 'bright' and 'radiant', both of which certainly apply to this trio's music making." The trio is also described by The Strad as having "elegant phrasing and deft control of textures," and praised by The New York Times for its "excellent performances."

Previous albums include Musical Remembrances (Chandos, 2022), which features Rachmaninoff’s Trio élégiaque No. 1, Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 8, and Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 67; the highly celebrated Her Voice (Chandos, 2019), which features the works of women composers ​​Louise Farrenc, Amy Beach, and Rebecca Clarke; French Moments (Chandos, 2018), which includes the only known piano trios by Debussy, Fauré, and Roussel; and Neave’s Chandos debut, American Moments (2016), featuring works by Korngold, Foote, and Bernstein. In 2018, Neave Trio also released its critically acclaimed album, Celebrating Piazzolla (Azica Records, 2018), featuring mezzo-soprano Carla Jablonski.

Formed in 2010, the Neave Trio – currently the inaugural Ensemble-in-Residence at Virginia Commonwealth University for the 2023-24 season – strives to champion new works by living composers, regularly collaborating with artists of all mediums. These collaborations include the premiere of Robert Paterson’s Triple Concerto with the Mostly Modern Orchestra under the direction of JoAnn Falletta; D-Cell: an Exhibition & Durational Performance, conceived and directed by multi-disciplinary visual artist David Michalek; as well as performances with the Blythe Barton Dance Company; with dance collective BodySonnet; with projection designer Ryan Brady; in the interactive concert series “STEIN2.0,” with composer Amanuel Zarzowski; in the premiere of Klee Musings by acclaimed American composer Augusta Read Thomas; in the premiere of Eric Nathan’s Missing Words V, sponsored by Coretet; in Leah Reid’s Cloud Burst for piano trio and electronics; in Dale Trumbore’s Another Chance; and in a music video by filmmaker Amanda Alvarez Díaz of Astor Piazzolla’s "Otoño Porteño.” During the 2024-25 season, the Neave Trio will collaborate with Pigeonwing Dance, composer Robert Sirota, and choreographer Gabrielle Lamb to perform Rising, an evening-length work which meditates not only on rising temperatures and sea levels, but also on humanity’s rising awareness of our connection to and dependence on the Earth’s oceans.

For more information, visit www.neavetrio.com.

Rooted | Neave Trio | Chandos Records
Release Date: July 5, 2024 (Worldwide)
Recorded May 8-10, 2023 at Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk, England

Bedřich Smetana (1824 – 1884): Piano Trio, Op. 15 in G minor (1855, revised 1857) [27:40]

[1] Moderato assai [11:18]
[2] Allegro, ma non agitato [7:36]
[3] Finale. Presto [8:46]

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 – 1912): Five Negro Melodies for Piano Trio from Twenty-four Negro Melodies, Op. 59 No. 1, for Solo Piano (c. 1905) [15:55]

[4] 1. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child (No. 22) [3:58]
[5] 2. I was way down a-yonder (No. 15) [3:24]
[6] 3. Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel? (No. 11) [1:24]
[7] 4. They will not lend me a child (No. 4) [4:53]
[8] 5. My Lord delivered Daniel (No. 18) [2:14]

Josef Suk (1874 – 1935): Petit Trio, Op. 2 in C minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1889, revised 1890 – 91) [15:54]
Karlu Steckerovi

[9] I Allegro [6:24]
[10] II Andante – Adagio [3:48]
[11] III Vivace [5:41]

Frank Martin (1890 – 1974): Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises (on Popular Irish Melodies) for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1925) [16:13]

[12] Allegro moderato [4:34]
[13] Adagio [5:56]
[14] Gigue. Allegro [5:42]

Total Time: [76:04]

Recording producer: Jonathan Cooper
Sound engineer: Jonathan Cooper
Editor: Jonathan Cooper
Chandos Records Ltd, Colchester, Essex CO2 8HX, England

GRAMMY®-Nominated Neave Trio Announces New Album on Chandos Records: A Room of Her Own

GRAMMY®-Nominated Neave Trio Announces New Album on
Chandos Records: A Room of Her Own

Featuring the Music of Lili Boulanger, Cécile Chaminade,
Germaine Tailleferre, and Dame Ethel Smyth
Worldwide Release: February 2, 2024

Downloads and CDs available to press on request

“[The Neave Trio] shows enormous stylistic variety, from great pathos to playful mischievousness to exuberant virtuosity”
– BBC Music Magazine

www.neavetrio.com | www.chandos.net

The GRAMMY®-nominated Neave Trio (violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura), announces its next album, A Room of Her Own, available worldwide on February 2, 2024. A Room of Her Own is the Neave Trio’s fifth for Chandos Records, and includes D’un matin de printemps and D’un soir triste from Lili Boulanger’s Deux Pièces en trio (1917-18); Cecile Chaminade’s Trio No. 1, Op. 11 (1880); Germaine Tailleferre’s Trio (1916-17, revised 1978); and Ethel Smyth’s Trio (1880).

A Room of Her Own follows the Neave Trio’s critically acclaimed third Chandos album, 2019’s Her Voice, which was named one of the best recordings of the year by both The New York Times and BBC Radio 3, and features the music of distinguished women composers Louise Farrenc, Amy Beach, and Rebecca Clarke.

Two generations of composers are represented on A Room of Her Own: Cécile Chaminade and Ethel Smyth were born in 1857 and 1858 respectively, while Germaine Tailleferre and Lili Boulanger were born in 1892 and 1893. All four were in their early twenties when they composed the works on this album. Smyth had just begun composing in her late teens, and the Piano Trio is one of her earliest known works, while Chaminade and Boulanger had been writing prolifically from an early age; Boulanger died prematurely, at the age of twenty-four, and her piano trios were among her final compositions, while the longest-lived of these composers, Tailleferre, returned to revise her forgotten early trio in her mid-eighties. The early lives of these composers were shaped by varying levels of familial support and educational opportunity, and each had to contend – in different ways – with the gendered barriers that faced women in music throughout their lifetimes.

“We are excited to record these trios by Ethel Smyth, Chaminade, Tailleferre, and Lili Boulanger because of the distinctive voices these composers bring to the chamber music repertoire,” says the Neave Trio. “Each piece reflects a unique perspective, showcasing the distinctive styles and innovative approaches of these composers. Their compositions, though from different time periods and backgrounds, share a common thread of breaking conventional norms, making them powerful representations of female artistry in a historically male-dominated field. By recording and performing these trios, we aim to celebrate the richness of their musical contributions and emphasize the importance of recognizing and promoting the works of wonderful composers who happened to be women.”

Hailed by BBC Music Magazine for its "generous and warm-hearted, utterly beguiling playing, the Neave Trio has emerged as one of the finest young ensembles of its generation. It has been praised by WQXR Radio in New York City for its "bright and radiant music making," described by The Strad as having "elegant phrasing and deft control of textures," and praised by The New York Times for its "excellent performances."

The Neave Trio’s 2022 album Musical Remembrances was nominated for a GRAMMY® in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble category. Musical Remembrances features Rachmaninoff’s Trio élégiaque No. 1, Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 8, and Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor, Op. 67, and is the Neave Trio’s fourth album with Chandos Records. In addition to Her Voice, previous releases include French Moments (2018), which includes the only known piano trios by Debussy, Fauré, and Roussel; and Neave’s Chandos debut, American Moments (2016), featuring works by Korngold, Foote, and Bernstein. In 2018, Neave Trio also released its critically acclaimed album, Celebrating Piazzolla (Azica Records, 2018), featuring mezzo-soprano Carla Jablonski.

A Room of Her Own | Neave Trio | Chandos Records
Release Date: February 2, 2024 (Worldwide)
Recorded March 15-17 2023 at Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk, England

Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)
[1] D’un matin de printemps (1917-18) [4:47]
No. 1 from Deux Pièces en trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano Assez animé – Rubato – Tempo I
[2] D’un soir triste (1917-18) [10:15]
No. 2 from Deux Pièces en trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano Lent, grave – Un peu mouvementé – Large – Large – Plus lent, funèbre – Très élargi, libre – Lent – Mouvement I

Cécile Chaminade (1857-1944): Trio No. 1, Op. 11 in G minor for Violin, Cello, and Piano (1880) [22:20]
[3] I Allegro – Meno mosso – Tempo I – Poco meno mosso – Tempo I [8:19]
[4] II Andante – Animato – Tempo I [4:34]
[5] III Presto leggiero [3:38]
[6] IV Allegro molto agitato – Poco più mosso [5:49]

Germaine Tailleferre (1892–1983): Trio for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1916– 17, revised 1978) [14:16]
[7] I Allegro animato [4:04]
[8] II Allegro vivace [3:14]
[9] III Moderato [2:55]
[10] IV Très animé – Accélérez – Tempo I [4:01]

Ethel Smyth (1858-1944): Trio in D minor for Piano, Violin, and Cello (1880) [31:11]
[11] I Allegro non troppo – Grandioso (breit) – Meno mosso [9:35]
[12] II ‘Der Mutte [sic] der Einfachkeit [sic]?!’ (The Courage of Simplicity?!).
Andante – Scherzando – Poco meno mosso [6:17]
[13] III Scherzo. Presto con brio – Trio – Scherzo da capo – Coda [4:08]
[14] IV Finale. Allegro vivace [11:09]

Total Time: [83:10]

Recording producer: Jonathan Cooper
Sound engineer: Jonathan Cooper
Editor: Jonathan Cooper
A&R administrator Sue Shortridge
Front cover Photograph of Neave Trio by Lisa-Marie Mazzucco Photography
Design and typesetting Cass Cassidy
Booklet editor Finn S. Gundersen
Publishers Éditions Henry Lemoine, Paris (Tailleferre), Roberton Publications (Goodmusic
Publishing), Tewkesbury (Smyth), Éditions Durand, Paris (other works)
℗ 2024 Chandos Records Ltd

About the Neave Trio: Since forming in 2010, GRAMMY®–nominated Neave Trio – violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura – has earned enormous praise for its engaging, cutting-edge performances. New York's classical music radio station WQXR explains, "'Neave' is actually a Gaelic name meaning 'bright' and 'radiant', both of which certainly apply to this trio's music making." Gramophone has praised the trio's "taut and vivid interpretations," while The Strad calls out their "eloquent phrasing and deft control of textures" and BBC Music Magazine describes their performances as balancing "passion with sensitivity and grace."

Neave has performed at many esteemed concert series and at festivals worldwide, including Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 92nd Street Y, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Norfolk and Norwich Chamber Music Series (United Kingdom), and the Samoylov and Rimsky Korsakow Museums’ Chamber Music Series in St. Petersburg (Russia). The trio has held residency positions at Brown University, University of Virginia, Longy School of Music of Bard College, San Diego State University as the first-ever Fisch/Axelrod Trio-in-Residence, and the Banff Centre (Canada), among many other institutions. Neave Trio was also in residence at the MIT School of Architecture and Design in collaboration with dancer/choreographer Richard Colton. During the 2023-2024 season, Neave Trio joined the faculty of Virginia Commonwealth University as the inaugural ensemble-in-residence.

Neave Trio strives to champion new works by living composers and reach wider audiences through innovative concert presentations, regularly collaborating with artists of all mediums. These collaborations include the premiere of Robert Paterson’s Triple Concerto with the Mostly Modern Orchestra under the direction of JoAnn Falletta; D-Cell: an Exhibition & Durational Performance, conceived and directed by multi-disciplinary visual artist David Michalek; as well as performances with the Blythe Barton Dance Company; with dance collective BodySonnet; with projection designer Ryan Brady; in the interactive concert series “STEIN2.0,” with composer Amanuel Zarzowski; in the premiere of Klee Musings by acclaimed American composer Augusta Read Thomas; in the premiere of Eric Nathan’s Missing Words V, sponsored by Coretet; in Leah Reid’s Cloud Burst for piano trio and electronics; in Dale Trumbore’s Another Chance; and in a music video by filmmaker Amanda Alvarez Díaz of Astor Piazzolla’s "Otoño Porteño.” During the 2024-25 season, the Neave Trio will collaborate with Pigeonwing Dance, composer Robert Sirota, and choreographer Gabrielle Lamb to perform Rising, an evening-length work which meditates not only on rising temperatures and sea levels, but also on humanity’s rising awareness of our connection to and dependence on the Earth’s oceans.

Recent and upcoming highlights include performances presented by Harvard University, Kaatsbaan, Rockport Celtic Festival, Chamber Music Tulsa, the Chicago Chamber Music Society, Friends of Chamber Music Portland, Boston Athenaeum, the Williams Center at Lafayette College, and many more. For more information, visit www.neavetrio.com.