The first three pieces will be a violin and piano duo. They will perform the first piece of Sibelius Op. 79, movement 3 from the Sonata Op. 43 and Amy Beach's Op. 23. Afterwards, the cellist will join them to perform the Brahms piano trio.
i Souvenir, ii Tempo di menuetto, iii Danse caractéristique, iv Sérénade, v Tanz-Idylle, vi Berceuse
Jean Sibelius, though known for his large-scale works, also composed numerous sets of miniature ‘character’ pieces throughout his life–almost always for violin and piano. The Six Pieces, op 79 was written from 1915-17, and are distinctly Romantic in style. The first piece, “Souvenir,” displays Sibelius’ idiomatic writing for violin and piano, including virtuosic passage work and sudden changes in register, but the character never diverges too far from the nostalgic, bittersweet mood that its title implies.
i Allegro con anima, ii Adagio, iii Allegro molto vivace
The duo will also perform this second piece. Dora Pejačević was a Croatian composer, pianist and violinist and one of the first composers to introduce the orchestral song to Croatian music. Sonata in B minor Slawische Sonate for violin and piano, Op. 43 was composed in 1917; dedicated to violinist Zlatko Baloković.
i Allegro con moto — Tempo un poco più Moderato — Schnell, ii Scherzo: Allegro molto — Trio: Più lento — Tempo primo, iii Adagio non troppo — Allegro — Tempo primo, iv Finale: Allegro molto agitato — Un poco più lento — Tempo primo
The Piano Trio No. 1 in B major, Op. 8, by Johannes Brahms was completed in January 1854, when the composer was only twenty years old. It has often been mistakenly claimed that the first performance had taken place in the United States.
Trio Opus Three (Piano trio)
Youngmin Lee - Violin
Youngmin Lee is a Korean violinist and educator based in China. She began her solo career at the age of 18 with the Kyoungki Festival Orchestra, performing Brahms’ Violin Concerto. After graduating from Yonsei University College of Music in South Korea, she gained extensive experience with various professional orchestras, including Gunpo Prime Philharmonic, Creadia, New World Symphony, and served as the second violin associate principal of the Seoul Metropolitan Youth Orchestra. Following her relocation to China, Youngmin took several gap years. In 2022, she became a 1st violin player of the Xian Symphony Orchestra, performing across China. She has collaborated with numerous conductors and soloists, including Zhang Guoyong and Ningfeng, in various cities throughout the country.
Youngmin has received multiple awards. In September 2024, she won first prize at the 8th Japan International Competition, and she was a semifinalist in both the 1st Joachim Violin Competition 2023 (UK) and the 3rd Grazyna Bacewicz International Violin Competition in Lodz (Poland). She earned gold and silver medals at the Gyeonggi-Do Student Music Competition in South Korea in 2003, 2004, and 2005, competing successfully as both a soloist and chamber musician. Her string quartet won first prize at the Hong Kong International Music Competition (Chamber Division) 2017 and second prize at the Osaka International Music Competition (Chamber Music) 2016. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Performance Studies (Violin) at the Royal Academy of Music in London.
Cameron Walls - Cello
Cameron Walls is a nineteen-year-old cellist studying at the Royal Academy of Music as a scholarship holder with John Myerscough. He is a passionate chamber musician, having won the Avison Ensemble Young Musician’s Award, and receives valuable coaching from esteemed musicians at the Academy. As a member of the Scintilla Quartet, he regularly benefits from coaching with Anthony Marwood and members of the Doric, Barbican, and Castalian Quartets. His collaborative playing also extends to a newly formed viol consort, in which he enjoys playing tenor viol.
Pan Xiao - Piano
Chinese American pianist Pan Xiao has embarked on a multifaceted career as a soloist, collaborator, and pedagogue. Raised in Colorado, Pan was most recently based in Chicago, and served on the accompanying faculties at Northwestern University and Loyola Academy.
Among other accomplishments, Pan has won awards from Chicago’s Musicians Club of Women, the Music Teachers’ National Association, and the International Institute for Young Musicians. Additionally she has soloed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Breckenridge Festival Orchestra, and has given performances at the Chicago Cultural Center’s Chamber Mondays Concert Series and the WFMT Bach Keyboard Festival.
Pan holds a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from Northwestern University and is currently at the Royal Academy of Music to continue her post-graduate studies in Ensemble Piano. Pan is also a graduate of Northwestern’s dual-degree program, having earned bachelor’s degrees in both piano performance and chemistry.
Saxophone/Piano Duo
27 March 2025
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