In 1997, a group of talented young musicians formed a chamber music group under the tutelage of renowned artists Earl Carlyss and Ann Schein. They named the group after the Nineteenth Century composer whose versatility they greatly admired, and the Mendelssohn Piano Trio was born.
Since then, the trio has developed a loyal audience, performing with that rare combination of powerful individual talent and tight-knit collaboration that is the hallmark of a truly exceptional chamber music ensemble. The Mendelssohn Piano Trio's extensive repertoire embraces works from all periods of the genre's history. Ensemble members are superb soloists in their own right, having enjoyed diversified musical careers that transcend international boundaries. Pianist, Ya-Ting Chang is from Taiwan; violinist, Peter Sirotin is from Russia; and cellist, Fiona Thompson is from England. Together, they are performing with a distinctive intellectual drive and deep poetic richness and finesse, bringing chamber music to life for audiences in the United States and around the world.
Currently Ensemble-in-Residence for Washington DC's Embassy Concert Series, the Mendelssohn Piano Trio is rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting young ensembles on the national and international music scene. In the United States, the ensemble has performed and gave masterclasses in a variety of concert venues nationwide, including universities, colleges, art academies, and music festivals, as well as an international radio feature of Voice of America.
The highlight of the Trio’s recent tour in Taiwan was a performance at the National Concert Hall in Taipei, which was broadcasted on Taiwanese public television channel. This season they have presented the complete Beethoven trios in Portugal and Washington DC to critical acclaim. They have also released their first CD under the Centaur label with music by Sergei Taneyev. In the next two year, the group will record for Centaur two more CDs of complete piano trios by E. Lalo and C. Goldmark.