The Zodiac Trio

Vanessa Mollard, violin
Kliment Krylovskiy, clarinet
Riko Higuma, piano

Featured in the London-based international MUSO magazine as one of the leading chamber groups of its generation, the Zodiac Trio has been praised by critics for their “truly exceptional talent” (Nice-Matin, France) and “musicality of rare intensity” (La Tribune de Lyon, France), as well as being declared as “excellent, talented and committed” by the New York Concert Review and “awe-inspiring” (NYC.com, New York)

The young clarinet-violin-piano ensemble has been welcomed on many leading stages throughout the US, Europe and Japan. Representing three different nations – Japan, Russia and France – the Zodiac Trio met in New York in 2005. Since its formation, The Zodiac Trio has been awarded prizes at a number of national and international competitions such as the Yellow Springs Chamber Music Competition, FNAPEC Ensemble Competition (Paris), International Chamber Music Competition of Duchi D’Aqcuaviva (Italy), Val Tidone International Music Competition (Italy), the Cziffra Foundation (France), Joyce Dutka Foundation for the Arts (New York), International Peninsula Young Artist Festival in California and the ProMusica Ensemble Competition (France), among others. The young ensemble has also received a Recording Grant and Commission Grant from Co-Op press, and are laureates of the 6th International Osaka Chamber Music Competition in Japan.

Individually and collectively, they have performed throughout the United States, South America, Western and Eastern Europe, Russia, China and Japan. As soloists, members of the Zodiac Trio have appeared with the Gent Symphony Orchestra, Geneva Symphony, Marseille Symphony Orchestra, Cannes Philharmonic Orchestra, Couer d’Alene Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, Monte Carlo Philharmonic, etc., collaborating with such legendary musicians as Mstislav Rostropovich, Pierre Boulez, Paquito D’Rivera, Kurt Mazur, and many others. Performing in many of the leading halls such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Merkin Hall, Bellas Artes de Mexico, Boston Symphony Hall and the Acropolis in Nice, France, they have appeared multiple times on WQXR’s Young Artist Showcase, including live broadcasts on National Public Radio, and toured the South of France sponsored by the Council General, where the Nice-Matin wrote: “The prestigious level of the performances… foreshadowed their great success in the future…”

Highlights of past seasons include the Acropolis in Nice, France, Walter Bruno Auditorium at Lincoln Center, French festivals Musique a Flaine, Estival de St. Jeannet, and Val D’Isere, Izumi Hall in Osaka, Japan, and Teatro Casale Monferato as well as the Teatro de Atri in Italy. Notably, the trio continues to collaborate with Yovan Markovich, cellist of the famed Ysaÿe Quartet. Future engagements planned for the upcoming season include Lincoln Friends of Chamber Music, Preston Hall in Chicago, Merkin Hall in New York, Mount Allison University in Canada, Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music Society, Pro-Musica Festival in France, the Louvre Auditorium in Paris, as well as an extensive tour of China, among others.

Strong advocates of new music, the trio has commissioned new works in order to expand the clarinet-violin-piano trio repertoire, and strive to serve as a platform of exposure for up-and-coming composers. Their debut commercial recording, that received nation-wide airplay as well as critical acclaim, included two works written for the ensemble. Currently the Zodiac Trio has a number of projects in the works with up-and-coming composers both in the United States and France, bridging the two countries and fueling an exciting cultural exchange. Aside from trios, the young ensembles often offer sonatas and solo works to bring a large variety to its audiences in the scope of a single concert.

In 2007, the Zodiac Trio made Paris their headquarters, where they are on the artist roster of the Cziffra Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting Europe’s top young artists. The young ensemble was chosen by Culture France to receive moral and financial support from the « Declic » Program, partner with the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Mecenat Musical Societe General. The Zodiac Trio also profits from the generous support of the Swiss Global Artistic Foundation.

Reviews

“Excellent, talented, and committed” – New York Concert Review

“Remarkable musicality of rare intensity” – La Tribune

Website

http://www.zodiactrio.com