Ahn Trio to Bring Acclaimed Mix of Classical, Pop Music to EIU's Doudna
Sep-04-2009
The internationally acclaimed Ahn Trio, whose innovative style is drawing new audiences to classical music, is to perform at Eastern Illinois University this month.
The concert -- featuring sisters Maria, Lucia and Angella Ahn on violin, cello and piano -- is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18 in the Doudna Fine Arts Center's Dvorak Concert Hall.
"The Ahn Trio continues to break new ground," said Dwight Vaught, director of the Doudna Fine Arts Center. "They are superbly trained young classical musicians who are at home on either the classical stage or the popular music stage.
"Anyone who has seen them on television or on their popular YouTube videos is sure to be captivated by their abilities and charisma. We're fortunate to have artists of their caliber spending time with students and audiences here."
Born in Seoul, Korea, and educated at Juilliard in New York City, the members of the Ahn Trio are redefining the art and architecture of chamber music, breathing new life into the standard piano trio literature with commissioned works from visionary composers like Pat Metheny, Kenji Bunch, Maurice Jarre, Nikolai Kapustin and Michael Nyman.
The Ahns thrive on dissolving the barriers between art forms. They have fused their work with that of dancers, pop singers, DJ's, electronic music artists, painters, installation artists, photographers, lighting designers, ecologists and even kite makers, and they received critical acclaim for their collaborative project with the David Parsons Dance Company. The trio's latest CD, "Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac," made No. 8 on the Billboard charts in the U.S. The women are now signed with Sony BMG International.
Last summer, the Ahns were the only classical group to be invited to perform at the iTunes LIVE Festival in London, where minimalist musician Michael Nyman was a surprise guest. The success of their live performance at the Czech Grammys with the award-winning Czech rock band Tata Bojs led to the two groups recording a collaborative album, "Smetana."
In 1987, the Ahns were featured in a Time cover story, "Asian American Whiz Kids." They now frequent fashion pages the likes of Vogue and GQ, and in 2003, they were named three of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People.
While at EIU, the Ahns are to conduct a master class, as well as an educational outreach performance for some public school students. For details on these events, please call 217-581-8513.
Concert tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for senior citizens and EIU employees, and $7 for EIU students. Seating is reserved. To purchase, contact Doudna Patron Services at doudnatix@eiu.edu or 217-581-3110, or visit the Doudna Box Office 2-6 p.m. weekdays.
The Doudna Fine Arts Center, a division of EIU's College of Arts and Humanities, is located one block west of Ninth Street at Garfield Avenue in Charleston. For more information, visit the website at http://www.eiu.edu/doudna.
