T R I O P H Ō S
NEWS!!!
Trio Phōs was awarded $15,000 as a recipient of the
2024 New World Symphony BLUE Grant for its project The Sound of Connection!
A recipient of the 2024 New World Symphony BLUE Grant for its project The Sound of Connection, Trio Phōs is a fresh collaboration between clarinetist Yasmina Spiegelberg, cellist Julia Yang, and pianist Sophiko Simsive. The musicians are sought-after performers and core members of acclaimed and internationally prize-winning ensembles, including the Merz Trio and the Claremont Trio, alumni of Ensemble Connect and New World Symphony, and have performed across the globe at festivals such as Marlboro, Tippet Rise, Verbier and Yellow Barn.
Their name Phōs, from the Greek word φῶς for “light” and “firelight”, implies the ensemble’s stir to light up their own corner of the chamber music world through virtuosic programming, exciting commissions, and highly innovative collaborations and projects. Together, Simsive, Spiegelberg, and Yang are drawn towards the piano-clarinet-cello instrumentation through a shared love of the ensemble’s textural breadth, its repertoire, and a desire to create unique concert experiences that forge connections between the old and the new.
Click HERE to discover Trio Phōs’ “Rimlands” Program!
Watch
J. Brahms, Clarinet Trio in A minor, III. Andantino grazioso (excerpt) — Trio Phōs
The Sound of Connection
Dreamed up by Trio Phōs, a recipient of the 2024 New World Symphony BLUE Grant, The Sound of Connection invites diverse populations of older adults in New York City to share their personal stories and experiences through intimate music performances and conversation.
In an effort to connect in an epidemic of loneliness, this project bridges generations through a unique format, called Concert Conversations. Live music and conversation are in dialogue as a small group of one to three audience members and a solo performer reflect on themes of memory, one’s relationship to one’s body and life transitions. Solo performers include the members of Trio Phōs as well as New World Symphony alumni and NYC-based teaching artists, including alumni of Ensemble Connect.
In addition to the Concert Conversations, Trio Phōs performs free-of-charge and larger-scale community concerts. These showcase a carefully curated program that includes old and beloved works from previous centuries alongside a newly commissioned work.
The second stage of this project envisions the creation of a tourable multidisciplinary show integrating newly commissioned works and recorded footage from Concert Conversations and community performances. Trio Phōs collaborates with dancers and choreographers, and incorporates lighting and text to bring these stories to a broader audience.
The Sound of Connection is a celebration of community, empathy and intergenerational understanding through music, building relationships with—and listening to the stories of—elders across New York City. It is made possible thanks to the generous funding from the New World Symphony.
FAQs
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FAQs *
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It's a project created by Trio Phōs that invites diverse populations of older adults in New York City to share their personal stories and experiences through intimate music performances and conversations, fostering connection and understanding. Part one of the project consists of Concert Conversations, larger community performances and a new commission. Part two culminates in a tourable multidisciplinary show integrating newly commissioned works, dancers and choreographers, and recorded footage from Concert Conversations and from larger community performances.
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These are intimate, small-group sessions where we interweave music and conversation. With just one to three participants, we encourage personal storytelling, allowing for deep, spontaneous exchanges between solo performer and audience members.
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Through Concert Conversations, we create a space where very small groups of participants can engage with performers in meaningful discussions about aging, life journeys, and personal reflections, allowing everyone to share their stories.
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With permission from audience members, Concert Conversations will be recorded for possible use in the creation of a tourable multidisciplinary show as part of the second stage of The Sound of Connection. Select recorded footage (audio and/or video) will be interwoven in diverse ways into production with permission of audience members. In addition, audience member(s) may wish to have a recording of the conversation in which they share stories from their life to offer their own family members or close relationships.
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It blends live music with real-life stories. We invite participants to share their experiences in both intimate settings and larger community concerts, where new works explore the themes of aging and life’s transitions.
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For the initial phase of the project, we are working with select Older Adult Communities in NYC from diverse backgrounds such as the LGBTQ+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities. Relatives from different generations (child, niece/nephew, grandchild, etc) are welcome to join and participate in these intimate spaces of connection.
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By providing a safe and respectful environment for storytelling, we help participants feel comfortable sharing their life experiences. The small group format ensures that everyone’s voice is heard and valued.
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To celebrate and share the unique stories of older adults, foster intergenerational connection, and facilitate interactions that blend music, conversation and personal narrative, bringing together communities and highlighting the richness of life’s experiences.