Beethoven Project Trio

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The Beethoven Project Trio is an American piano trio from Chicago, formed in 2008. Its members are pianist George Lepauw, violinist Sang Mee Lee, and cellist Wendy Warner.

Their first public concert was on March 1, 2009, at Murphy Auditorium in Chicago. The program included the world premiere of Beethoven’s piano trio Hess 47 (in E-flat major), the American premiere of Anhang 3, and the Chicago premiere of Opus 63, along with Beethoven’s Archduke Trio. A Chicago Tribune critic praised the trio’s blend, balance, and style, noting the eloquent slow movement in the Archduke Trio.

The Beethoven Project Trio is part of the International Beethoven Project (IBP), a Chicago-based not-for-profit organization. IBP provides an umbrella for groups including the Beethoven Project Trio and the Prometheus Ensemble, and helped organize the trio’s world premiere performance and co-produced their recording with Cedille Records. The IBP aims to explore Beethoven’s trios within the context of his life, sometimes featuring works by other composers who inspired or were inspired by Beethoven, and it occasionally commissions new piano trios. The group also has a strong education mission, giving performances in schools, lectures, and master classes, and supporting charitable causes.

The Beethoven Project Trio recorded Beethoven’s Piano Trio in E-flat Major Hess 47, along with Opus 63 and the Piano Trio in D Major, Kinsky/Halm Anhang 3, in a Cedille Records edition. The album was recorded in New York at the American Academy of Arts and Letters, produced by Max Wilcox, and released May 23, 2010. It reached number 24 on the Classical Billboard charts in its first week and received strong critical praise.

The trio has been featured on Chicago’s WFMT radio, American Public Media’s Performance Today, and was covered on CBS Evening News. A documentary about them was in production by filmmaker Mike Cahill.

The International Beethoven Project also runs the Beethoven Festival, the Beethoven Festival Orchestra, and the Beethoven Spirit Award, a recognition given to individuals for visionary work aligned with Beethoven’s ideals. The festival is a multi-disciplinary celebration that includes music, dance, film, lectures, and art, with events expanding from 2011 to 2012 and featuring a wide range of performers and world premieres.