Ahn Trio
Encyclopedia
The Ahn Trio is a classical piano trio
comprised of three sisters: Angella (violin
), Lucia (piano) and Maria (cello
). Lucia and Maria are twins. Born in Seoul, Korea, they moved to New York City
in 1981 and began their training at the Juilliard School
. The sisters decided to form a trio while they were earning their master's degrees at Juilliard. The Ahn Trio are known for their performance of new classical music, genre-crossing programming, and collaborations with other artists.
, GQ and in ads for GAP
and Anne Klein
. They have been photographed by photographers Arthur Elgort
, Ellen von Unwerth
, and Walter Chin
. The trio is often noted for their attractive appearance and fashion choices .
and The Doors
) and have commissioned works by composers including Michael Nyman
, Mark O'Connor
, Roberto Carnevale
, and Ronn Yedidia.
The Ahn Trio's collaborations include an acoustic project with alternative rock band Tata Bojs
, with whom they performed live at the Czech Grammys and recorded an album, smetana, and performances with the David Parsons Dance Company
. Also, they appeared on MTV
's "Unplugged" with Bryan Adams
, which inspired the title of one of their albums, "Ahn-Plugged." The "Ahn-Plugged" has also been used by the trio as a general term for their project of commissioning and performing new works.
Their latest album, Lullaby For My Favorite Insomniac, features collaborations with vocalists Susie Suh
and Ema Brabcová and with DJs Tao of Sound, DJ Spooky
, Superdrive
, and Ra.D. for four remix tracks on the album.
In December 2010, the Ahn Trio appeared in the TED Conference
as part of the TEDWomen series, performing Skylife by David Balakrishnan
and Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla
.
Their recording of "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" by Michael Nyman from their album Lullaby For My Favorite Insomniac appeared in the "So You Think You Can Dance" in the show's final episode of Season 8 on August 10, 2011.
The Ahn Trio performed at the White House State Dinner honoring South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
on October 13, 2011.
Piano trio
A piano trio is a group of piano and two other instruments, usually a violin and a cello, or a piece of music written for such a group. It is one of the most common forms found in classical chamber music...
comprised of three sisters: Angella (violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
), Lucia (piano) and Maria (cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
). Lucia and Maria are twins. Born in Seoul, Korea, they moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1981 and began their training at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
. The sisters decided to form a trio while they were earning their master's degrees at Juilliard. The Ahn Trio are known for their performance of new classical music, genre-crossing programming, and collaborations with other artists.
Media Recognition
They first achieved widespread recognition in the United States in 1987 when TIME Magazine featured them in a cover story about Asian-American "Whiz Kids". Since then, the trio has appeared in magazines multiple times, acknowledging that they seek to "get in the mainstream magazines as classical artists" to promote classical music's image. In 2003, they were selected by People Magazine as three of the "50 Most Beautiful People" and have been featured in VogueVogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, GQ and in ads for GAP
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
and Anne Klein
Anne Klein
Anne Klein was an American fashion designer who founded her own women's sportswear and apparel label.-Biography:Anne Klein was born as Hannah Golofski in a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York on August 3, 1923...
. They have been photographed by photographers Arthur Elgort
Arthur Elgort
Arthur Elgort in New York) is a fashion photographer, who has become especially known for his work as a Vogue photographer.-Life and career:...
, Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth
Ellen von Unwerth is a photographer and director, specializing in erotic femininity. She worked as a fashion model for ten years herself before moving behind the camera, and now makes fashion, editorial, and advertising photographs.Ellen von Unwerth found fame when she first photographed Claudia...
, and Walter Chin
Walter Chin
Walter Chin is a fashion and celebrity photographer who currently lives and works in New York.- Career :Walter Chin was born in Jamaica, but spent much of his life in Toronto, Canada, where he attended art school. After studying painting, he discovered his passion for photography and film, and...
. The trio is often noted for their attractive appearance and fashion choices .
Repertoire and Collaborations
The Ahn Trio performs a diverse set of genres, ranging from new classical music to arrangements of popular songs. In addition to recognized works of the classical piano trio repertoire such as that found on their first two albums (one of which, Dvořák, Suk, Shostakovich: Piano Trios, earned them a German ECHO award) the sisters have performed arrangements of popular music (including songs of David BowieDavid Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
) and have commissioned works by composers including Michael Nyman
Michael Nyman
Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano...
, Mark O'Connor
Mark O'Connor
Mark O'Connor is an American bluegrass, jazz, country and classical violinist fiddler, composer and music teacher. O'Connor's music is wide-ranging, critically acclaimed, and he has received numerous awards for both his playing and his composition...
, Roberto Carnevale
Roberto Carnevale
Roberto Carnevale is an Italian composer, pianist and conductor.- Biography and career :Born in Catania, he started studying piano at the age of seven. He took a degree in Arts at the University of Catania and he attended the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena...
, and Ronn Yedidia.
The Ahn Trio's collaborations include an acoustic project with alternative rock band Tata Bojs
Tata Bojs
Tata Bojs are a Czech pop rock band, formed in 1988 by bass-player Mardoša and drummer/singer Milan Cais. Current line-up of the band includes guitarist Vladimír Bár, producer Dušan Neuwerth on guitar and Jiří Hradil on piano and keyboards.- Albums :...
, with whom they performed live at the Czech Grammys and recorded an album, smetana, and performances with the David Parsons Dance Company
Parsons Dance Company
-External links:*** accessed 23 June 2007**...
. Also, they appeared on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's "Unplugged" with Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, which inspired the title of one of their albums, "Ahn-Plugged." The "Ahn-Plugged" has also been used by the trio as a general term for their project of commissioning and performing new works.
Their latest album, Lullaby For My Favorite Insomniac, features collaborations with vocalists Susie Suh
Susie Suh
Susie Suh is a Korean-American adult alternative/folk-rock singer-songwriter. Her music is often compared to Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan, and Aimee Mann. Suh cites Joni Mitchell and Beth Gibbons among her influences.[]...
and Ema Brabcová and with DJs Tao of Sound, DJ Spooky
DJ Spooky
Paul D. Miller , known by his stage name DJ Spooky, That Subliminal Kid, is a Washington DC-born electronic and experimental hip hop musician whose work is often called by critics or his fans as "illbient" or "trip hop". He is a turntablist, a producer, a philosopher, and an author...
, Superdrive
SuperDrive
SuperDrive is a trademark used by Apple Inc. for two different storage drives: from 1988–99 to refer to a high-density floppy disk drive capable of reading all major 3.5" disk formats; and from 2001 onwards to refer to a combined CD/DVD reader/writer....
, and Ra.D. for four remix tracks on the album.
Performances and Appearances
The Ahn Trio performs frequently throughout the United States, and also gives workshops and master classes at middle schools, high schools, and colleges, seeking to bring new audiences to classical music. Their performances often include visually appealing staging and programs that are announced and discussed from the stage by the trio.In December 2010, the Ahn Trio appeared in the TED Conference
TED (conference)
TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
as part of the TEDWomen series, performing Skylife by David Balakrishnan
David Balakrishnan
David Balakrishnan is the founder of the Turtle Island Quartet.-Life:After graduating from UCLA in 1976 with a B.A...
and Oblivion by Astor Piazzolla
Ástor Piazzolla
Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music...
.
Their recording of "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" by Michael Nyman from their album Lullaby For My Favorite Insomniac appeared in the "So You Think You Can Dance" in the show's final episode of Season 8 on August 10, 2011.
The Ahn Trio performed at the White House State Dinner honoring South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the...
on October 13, 2011.
Discography
| Year | Album details | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Paris Rio
|
Heitor Villa-Lobos Heitor Villa-Lobos was a Brazilian composer, described as "the single most significant creative figure in 20th-century Brazilian art music". Villa-Lobos has become the best-known and most significant Latin American composer to date. He wrote numerous orchestral, chamber, instrumental and vocal works... : Piano Trio in C Minor Maurice Ravel Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects... : Piano Trio in A Minor |
| 1999 | Dvořák, Suk, Shostakovich: Piano Trios
|
Antonín Dvorák Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many... : Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 90 ("Dumky") Josef Suk (composer) Josef Suk was a Czech composer and violinist.- Life :Suk was born in Křečovice. He studied at Prague Conservatory from 1885 to 1892, where he was a pupil of Antonín Dvořák and Antonín Bennewitz. In 1898, he married Dvořák's eldest daughter, Otilie Dvořáková , affectionately known as Otilka... : Elegie in D-flat Major, Op. 23 Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich was a Soviet Russian composer and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century.... : Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67 |
| 2000 | Ahn-Plugged
|
Ástor Piazzolla Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music... , Michael Nyman Michael Nyman Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano... , Kenji Bunch, Pat Metheny Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects... , Eric Ewazen Eric Ewazen Eric Ewazen is an American composer and teacher. Ewazen studied composition under Samuel Adler, Milton Babbitt, Gunther Schuller, Joseph Schwantner, Warren Benson, and Eugene Kurtz at the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School... , Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim... , David Bowie David Bowie David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... . |
| 2002 | Groovebox
|
Ástor Piazzolla Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music... , Michael Nyman Michael Nyman Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano... , Kenji Bunch, The Doors The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger... , Maurice Jarr, Ronn Yedida |
| 2008 | Lullaby For My Favorite Insomniac
|
Ástor Piazzolla Ástor Pantaleón Piazzolla was an Argentine tango composer and bandoneón player. His oeuvre revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed nuevo tango, incorporating elements from jazz and classical music... , Michael Nyman Michael Nyman Michael Laurence Nyman, CBE is an English composer of minimalist music, pianist, librettist and musicologist, known for the many film scores he wrote during his lengthy collaboration with the filmmaker Peter Greenaway, and his multi-platinum soundtrack album to Jane Campion's The Piano... , David Bowie David Bowie David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... , Pat Metheny Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce "Pat" Metheny is an American jazz guitarist and composer.One of the most successful and critically acclaimed jazz musicians to come to prominence in the 1970s and '80s, he is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works and other side projects... , Richard Rogers Richard Rogers Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside CH Kt FRIBA FCSD is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs.... , Kenji Bunch, Ronn Yedida, Terry Gilkyson Terry Gilkyson Hamilton H. Gilkyson III , better known as Terry Gilkyson, was an American folk singer, composer, and lyricist.-Biography:... , J.Y. Park, Susie Suh Susie Suh Susie Suh is a Korean-American adult alternative/folk-rock singer-songwriter. Her music is often compared to Fiona Apple, Sarah McLachlan, and Aimee Mann. Suh cites Joni Mitchell and Beth Gibbons among her influences.[]...
|
| 2008 | smetana
|
Tata Bojs Tata Bojs are a Czech pop rock band, formed in 1988 by bass-player Mardoša and drummer/singer Milan Cais. Current line-up of the band includes guitarist Vladimír Bár, producer Dušan Neuwerth on guitar and Jiří Hradil on piano and keyboards.- Albums :... |