Most piano trios are classically based, but the Trio Fibonacci prides itself on being different and adding its own spin on its performances.
The Trio Fibonacci will perform in the Glidden Recital Hall for one night only on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
The Trio Fibonacci is composed of a cellist, a pianist and a violinist. The trio is based in Montreal, and is embarking on its 20th anniversary tour this year.
Gabriel Prynn, the cellist of the trio, founded the group 20 years ago alongside violinist, Julie-anne Derome.
“We’re really excited to be performing here,” Prynn said. “We’ve never performed in Ohio before, and we haven’t performed in the U.S. much either, so it’s very exciting for us to take this repertoire and share it with the people here, and I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”
The trio dedicates its concerts toward minimalist composers, a type of music that’s repetitive and has a trance-like effect. Normally when people think of minimalists, they picture the American minimalists like Philip Glass, Steve Reich or John Adams, and although some of that is in the program, most of the concert is minimalist music in a broader sense. Additionally, the trio will do a workshop with student composers, and one of the pieces will be performed at the concert.
The group chose minimalist music to set itself apart from other trios. Instead of the normal classic repertoire performed by most trios, the trio wanted something that would be more relatable and enjoyable for their audiences.
“I think to fully appreciate classical music requires a lot of knowledge and background of the type of music,” Prynn said. “We wanted to do things a little differently, so we chose music that was more accessible to everyone.”
The trio hit a bit of a roadblock when its first pianist started a family and couldn’t continue with the group. Prynn and Derome wanted to keep continuity and look for a pianist they both knew. Prynn recognizes they could’ve gone about it through an open audition or another way, but they both agreed the personal connection was what they were really looking for.
The trio has traveled a great deal, and has worked with composers in Europe, South Africa, South America, Asia and America. Prynn thinks the travel has been the most exciting part about being in the trio and loved meeting people from different parts of the world who came from different cultures.
“It’s a bit of a cliché, saying ‘Music is the universal language,’ but it’s true,” Prynn said. “Music brings people together.”
Aside from the trio, Prynn is a visiting assistant professor of cello at Ohio University, and teaches both music majors and non-majors. He also works with chamber music, pianists and string students, and coordinates the groups.
“I’ve always loved teaching, and I just decided that I wanted to do something that was a bigger commitment,” Prynn said. “I saw a few jobs advertised around the world, and knew absolutely nothing about Ohio, but the interview gave me a great impression. So I ended up coming here.”
The trio’s performance is sponsored by the Performing Arts and Concert series. Andrew Holzaepfel, senior associate director for student activities, is proud to partner with the School of Music for the event.
“We are super excited to be partnering with the School of Music on this great performance that includes one of our own, Gabriel Prynn,” Holzaepfel said. “It’s going to be a spectacular night of music.”
Prynn and the trio are not only excited to perform, but they also hope the audience takes away the idea that musical barriers should be broken down, and people should take time to explore more music.
“In earlier times, music was very categorized,” Prynn said. “Jazz, pop, classical, baroque, etcetera. Certain composers, like these (minimalist composers), wrote their music to be universally appreciated, so I hope the audience can break down some of their musical barriers and explore more into the repertoire.”
