Mendelssohn Piano Trio Celebrates 20 Years

The Mendelssohn Piano Trio is made up of violinist Peter Sirotin, cellist Fiona Thompson and pianist Ya-Ting Chang. The Trio have been Artists-in-Residence at Messiah College for 15 years. Peter and Ya-Ting are also husband and wife, and the Artistic and Executive Directors of Market Square Concerts.

The Trio met in 1997 at Peabody Conservatory. Now, after performing nearly 600 concerts and recording 15 CDs together, they are celebrating their 20^th anniversary.

For the occasion, the Trio wanted to renew their collaboration with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Choreographer Alan Hineline, Director of Artistic Program at CPYB, was approached to create a new ballet. The premiere of the new work, Quindectet, will be presented in a special concert in Parmer Hall at Messiah College at 4 p.m. on October 1^st.  The ballet features fifteen dancers performing to the music of the dramatic Piano Trio No. 2 by Dmitri Shostakovich, written during World War II.

The concert will also include the Piano Trio in c minor by the Trio’s namesake, Felix Mendelssohn, and the piano Trio Formosa by Taiwanese composer, Tyzen Hsiao.

Later in October, the Trio will present a special all-Mendelssohn program at the Smithsonian American Arts Museum in Washington.

In addition to this special anniversary concert, The Mendelssohn Piano Trio will be performing as guest artists with the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto in the orchestra’s November concert programs.

Full details are available at the Trio’s website.