B I O G R A P H Y

The Ahn Trio tours the world, performing almost 100 concerts annually in such places as Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie's Weill Hall, Chicago's Ravinia, Singapore's Victoria Concert Hall, Moscow's Tchaikovsky Hall and Seoul Arts Center. Violinist Angella and the twins, pianist Lucia and cellist Maria, capture the intellect, hearts and souls of all who hear them.

"A dominant musical gene has obviously left its imprint on the sisters Ahn," according to the Los Angeles Times. The Juilliard trained trio, originally from South Korea, first gained public attention in 1987 when they were featured in a cover story entitled "Asian-American Whiz Kids" in Time Magazine. They have been featured on NBC and PBS, in the pages of The New York Times, GQ, Vogue and most recently in Town and Country. The Ahn have graced the cover of Spotlight magazine and are included in Best Friends, a book by the authors of the best selling Sisters.

Hailed as a brilliantly distinguished ensemble gifted with extraordinary powers of communication and an exquisite blend of sound, each of the artists performs with superb technique and contagious excitement. The Washington Post said, "Their technique was impressive, and they balanced unanimity and individuality in a spirit that is at the heart of chamber music."

Each season the Ahn Trio continues to conducts many workshops and master classes for children and adults. In acknowledgment of their contributions to music education, the Trio received the Kentucky Colonels Award, a distinction given earlier to the late Bing Crosby and Red Skelton.

The Trio's most innovative project, "Ahn-Plugged," has enabled them to reach out to new audiences all over the world. This project grew from the Ahn Trio's passionate dedication to the commissioning and performance of contemporary music and has led to significant additions to the piano trio repertoire. Among recent premieres are Eric Ewazen's The Diamond World, and Kenji Bunch's Concerto for Piano Trio and Orchestra. Other premieres include works by Michael Nyman, Paul Schoenfield, John Musto and John Zorn.

More commissions for the 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 seasons include a work by Eric Ewazen for the Villa Montalvo Center of the Arts in California, and a composition for the Trio and dancers by Kenji Bunch.

The Trio's CD of the Ravel and Villa-Lobos Piano Trios, available on the Chesky label, has earned rave reviews such as, "...this is one of Ravel's best, and never better played" (Audio, 1995). Since 1997, the Ahn Trio have been EMI Classics recording artists. The first CD on EMI of Dvorak, Suk and Shostakovich Trios was subsequently awarded the ECHO AwardGermany's most coveted recording prize. "This enormously stimulating performance will be one to return to again and again (BBC Music, 1999)." Most recently the Ahn Trio released their latest CD under EMI Classics, "Ahn-Plugged." A third CD on EMI is planned for release in 2002.

Performances on the Ahn Trio's schedule have included a four-week tour in the Midwest and performances at prestigious Wolf Trap in Virginia, the 92nd Street "Y" in New York, and Universities across the country. They also participated in the Lincoln Center Institute's program to promote music in the schools. The Trio brought their talent to audiences in the Caribbean Islands for a summer tour. Other highlights included performances in Europe, South America, Asia and in the United States at Stanford University, UCLA and Columbia University, with appearances in the South, Midwest, West and many on the East Coast. Future tour plans abroad include Korea, China and Europe.

Text copyright May 2001 Joanne Rile Artists Management, Inc.