St. Mary’s College of Maryland music faculty members, José Cueto, Amy Smith, and Brian Ganz, are set to perform two great trios for piano, violin, and cello. The final concert of the season will feature Beethoven’s Trio Op. 1, No. 1 in E-flat major and Chopin’s Trio in G minor. The concert, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Wednesday, May 3, at 7 pm in the Main Auditorium of the new Performing Arts Center on the St. Mary’s College of Maryland college campus.
Pianist Ganz shared his excitement about playing trios: “There is something about playing trios that is unlike any other form of music making. I have always loved the wide range of emotions that three musicians allows, from extremely intimate conversation to very powerful synergy. And the repertoire is spectacular!”
Beethoven’s Op. 1, No. 1 trio is a mature masterpiece that started his career as a published composer. On the other hand, Chopin’s Trio in G minor is equally impressive as he composed it at the age of 18. As Ganz said, “How wonderful that some of our first-year students will be hearing music composed by their peer!”
Cellist Amy Smith is a Maryland-based artist who has performed in various venues, including the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. She earned her Bachelor of Music from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and her Masters of Music from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Her active and growing private studio allows her to pass on her love of performing to the next generation. Smith is also an adjunct cello professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Violinist José Cueto has gained recognition for the beauty of his tone and performs worldwide as a chamber musician and guest soloist with orchestras. He has also recorded with various orchestras, including the Concert Artists of Baltimore and the St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra of Russia. Cueto is currently Concert Master of the Maryland Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Chesapeake Festival Orchestra. He is also a member of the violin faculty at the Catholic University of America and at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Brian Ganz is a pianist who has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, the National Philharmonic, the Baltimore and the National Symphonies, the City of London Sinfonia, and L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo. He has performed in many of the world’s major concert halls and has played under the baton of renowned conductors such as Leonard Slatkin, Mstislav Rostropovich, Pinchas Zukerman, Jerzy Semkow, and Yoel Levi.
Ganz’s work has been praised by critics worldwide. A critic for La Libre Belgique wrote of Ganz’s work: “We don’t have the words to speak of this fabulous musician who lives music with a generous urgency and brings his public into a state of intense joy.”
The final concert of the season at St. Mary’s College of Maryland promises to be a memorable experience for all those in attendance. For more information about the event, please call (240) 895-4498 or visit Chamber Concert: Ganz, Cueto, Smith | St. Marys College of Maryland.