The premiere selection, “Songs of the Open Road” by Evan Fein, was commissioned through a grant provided by WSC. This work was composed from late Fall 2020 into Spring 2021, in the heart of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I’m very happy with how this work turned out,” explains Fein. “It’s full of hope and optimism yet acknowledging something distressing in the recent past. I know Trio Mezzklarno will breathe life into it!”

Fein, originally from Ohio, works at The Julliard School in New York City.

“A Red, Red Rose,” composed by WSC Associate Professor Matthew Haakenson, was written specifically for the Trio. This gentle, lyrical piece celebrates a pure love as depicted in the 1794 Robert Burns poem by the same name.

“What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why,” by Kurt Knecht of Kansas City, Mo., was commissioned through a WSC grant explicitly for the Trio. Reflecting the 1920 poem by Edna St. Vincent Milay, this composition examines the process of aging, looking at what was and what never will be again. It is sometimes harsh and jarring, and sometimes tender and lyrical.

“Along the River,” by composer and professor Rick Sowash of Ohio, draws on poetry from James Joyce’s “Chamber Music” first published in 1907. This lush, lyrical piece exploits the distinct timbres of each instrument in charming, and often unexpected, combination.

For more information, contact the WSC Department of Music at 402-375-7359.

Organized by: Wayne State College

Event: Wayne State College