The Peru Gazette

The Emerald Trio – Karen Bogardus, flutes; Orlando Wells, violin/viola; James Sheppard, piano – will perform in concert Sunday, August 19 at 4:00 pm at the historic Saranac Methodist Church on Route 3 in Saranac.  The program will feature Trio Sonata in G of Georg PhillipTelemann and Suite, Op. 59 of Mel Bonis, as well as several contemporary works: Trio for Flute, Violin, and Piano of Alessandro Annunziata, Autumn Trio of T.O. Sterrett, What Have I Got to Lose? of Howard Cass, and Girl Without Hands of James Sheppard.  Seating is open with a suggested donation of $15; children under 12 attend free.  For further info telephone 518-293-7613, e-mail hillholl@hughes.net or visit www.hillandhollowmusic.org.

The members of the Emerald Trio work freelance in the heart of New York’s vibrant music scene, appearing in the orchestras of the hottest shows on- and off-Broadway, as well as in opera, symphony, and jazz ensembles.  Their collective skill-set includes conducting, composing, orchestrating, singing, and acting, while diverse backgrounds and wide-ranging interests ensure that the trio’s performances draw upon open-minded creativity and a lavish banquet of musical styles.  Bach to Stravinsky to unknown or seldom-heard works; cabaret and Broadway to hip-hop and jazz have all found a place in their concert programs.

With myriad musical skills, tastes, and experiences, the catalyst that first brought the Emerald Trio together in 2007 – and still unites them today– is a shared passion for contemporary chamber music.  They commission, perform, and record many new works; and recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary with the release of Big Green Apple, a full-length CD on the Naxos label of new works composed expressly for them by several eminent New York City composers.   The material on the disc had been recorded during their 2015 Hill and Hollow Music residency.

The Emerald Trio will be in Saranac again for a week-long residency, this time to work in-depth with New York City composer-pianist James Sheppard, who is writing a new work for them which will receive its premiere performance on the August 19 concert.

In 2010 the trio won first prize in the Continuo Arts Foundation Carnegie Hall Debut Competition.  They frequently perform on chamber music series in Connecticut, Vermont, Virginia, and New York State, as well as Manhattan venues such as the Actors’ Chapel, Trinity Church, and the 92nd Street Y.  Their performance on the Concert at One Series at Trinity Church in 2012 earned them a glowing review from Delarue of Lucid Culture, an on-line music publication that reviews jazz, classical music, and the arts in New York City: “The Emerald Trio Shines at Trinity Church….. a gem of a show….. Flutist Karen Bogardus, pianist James Matthew Castle and violist/violinist Orlando Wells teamed up for a fascinating and vividly affecting mix of relatively obscure material that gave them the chance to push the envelope and deliver a remarkably robust show that sounded considerably more hefty than one would think just those three instruments could deliver. Even by bigtime concert hall standards, Bogardus’s intonation was a clinic in nuance and subtlety, her attack ranging from crystalline directness to an earthy throatiness with an easy vibrato in lighter moments.”