About the Artists

Brigid Coleridge, violin
Julia Yang, cello
Lee Dionne, piano

“The incredibly gifted, innovative, and charming Merz Trio” (CutCommon) made a sweep of recent U.S. chamber awards, taking top prizes at the 2021 Naumburg, 2019 Concert Artists Guild, 2019 Fischoff, and 2018 Chesapeake competitions.

“The playing of this young trio, both precise and evocative, promises much for the future” (AllMusic.com). As well, the Trio takes an innovative approach to concert programming and presentation that places them “in a realm of high artistry” (The Boston Musical Intelligencer).

The Merz Trio, previously in residence at the New England Conservatory of Music, possesses “both distinctiveness and subtlety of interpretation, which is a rare combination, [plus] developed and distinctive taste – likewise rare” (Hudson Review). 

Pre-concert Talk

Pre-concert Talk one hour before performance at 2pm.

Clayton State music professor Dr.Kurt-Alexander Zeller gives engaging, insightful talks about the music, and often plays recorded excerpts of pieces in the program. These talks begin one hour prior to concert time for selected Strings and Vocal series concerts and are free for all ticket-holders.

Concert Program

“Night Journey” (75 minute program) Merz Trio embarks on a night journey inspired by Schubert’s sublime E-flat Major Trio and the dark winter of its Andante con moto second movement. The first half of the program explores night as a time of both darkness and light: a time of the imagination that harbors both our deepest fears and our most radiant dreams. In Schubert’s Trio, the darkness of its second movement returns to haunt its twinkling finale, creating an unexpected juxtaposition of light and dark. Our night journey similarly pairs the mystery of the unknown with the unexpected intimacy of the emotions we might encounter therein.

Alban BERG   Sieben Frühe Lieder (Seven early songs) arr. Merz Trio

Pēteris VASKS   Episodi e canto perpetuo

Thelonius MONK   Round Midnight  arr. Merz Trio

Stefano LANDI   Augellin Stefano Landi  arr. Merz Trio

VASKS   Episodi e canto perpetuo

Franz SCHUBERT   “Erlkönig”, Op. 1, D. 328 arr. Merz Trio

Antonín DVOŘÁK   Gypsy Songs, Op. 55  arr. Merz Trio

Florence PRICE   Night  arr. Merz Trio

SCHUBERT   Adagio in E-flat major, Op. 148 ‘Notturno’ (D. 897)

SCHUBERT   Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat Major, D. 899
     1. Allegro
     2. Andante con moto
     3. Scherzo: Allegro moderato
     4. Allegro moderato