Australia/USA

"We began playing together as a trio just over a year ago, so it’s a total honour and a very exciting challenge to bring our work to Melbourne. And we’re really looking forward to meeting our fellow competitors and listening to a lot of inspiring music making!" Brigid Coleridge, violin

Formed​ ​in​ ​January​ ​2017​ ​as​ ​a​ ​collaboration​ ​between​ ​pianist​ ​Lee​ ​Dionne,​ ​violinist​ ​Brigid Coleridge,​ ​and​ ​cellist​ ​Julia​ ​Yang,​ ​Merz​ ​Trio​ ​was​ ​the​ ​recipient​ ​of​ ​a​ ​Judges’​ ​Special​ ​Recognition Award​ ​at​ ​the​ ​2017​ ​Plowman​ ​Competition​ ​and​ ​a​ ​finalist​ ​for​ ​a​ ​2017​ ​Tarisio​ ​Young​ ​Artists​ ​Grant​ ​for their​ ​​Macbeth​ ​project​ ​(Spring​ ​2018). Fueled​ ​by​ ​a​ ​mission​ ​to​ ​transform​ ​and​ ​revitalize​ ​the​ ​traditional​ ​concert​ ​format,​ ​Merz​ ​Trio​ ​not​ ​only commits​ ​itself​ ​to​ ​chamber​ ​performance​ ​of​ ​the​ ​highest​ ​level,​ ​but​ ​also​ ​embraces​ ​a​ ​richly multidisciplinary​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​concert​ ​programming.​ ​

Taking​ ​their​ ​name​ ​from​ ​the​ ​early 20th-century​ ​'Merz​ ​pictures'​ ​of​ ​German​ ​visual​ ​artist​ ​Kurt​ ​Schwitters,​ ​the​ ​trio​ ​draws​ ​inspiration from​ ​Schwitters’​ ​unique​ ​style​ ​of​ ​found-object​ ​collage​ ​that​ ​emerged​ ​in​ ​response​ ​to​ ​the​ ​fragmented and​ ​devastated​ ​world​ ​of​ ​post-WWI​ ​Europe.​ ​In​ ​keeping​ ​with​ ​Schwitters’​ ​aesthetic​ ​of​ ​creation​ ​from pieced-together​ ​fragments,​ ​Merz​ ​Trio's​ ​projects​ ​promote​ ​dialogue​ ​between​ ​seemingly​ ​disparate musics,​ ​texts,​ ​and​ ​artifacts,​ ​weaving​ ​and​ ​juxtaposing​ ​the​ ​trio's​ ​repertoire​ ​within​ ​differing​ ​artistic worlds​ ​of​ ​visual​ ​art,​ ​dance,​ ​theater,​ ​and​ ​culinary​ ​arts.

Upcoming​ ​programs​ ​for​ ​2017-2018​ ​include​ ​a​ ​multidisciplinary​ ​exploration​ ​of​ ​Haydn’s​ ​style alongside​ ​works​ ​of​ ​Schwitters​ ​and​ ​excerpts​ ​from​ ​German​ ​author​ ​W.G.​ ​Sebald.​ ​Other​ ​show concepts​ ​include​ ​a​ ​multi-course​ 'tasting​ ​menu' ​of​ ​short​ ​musical​ ​selections​ ​paired​ ​with​ ​food,​ ​as well​ ​as​ ​a​ ​'mainstage' ​show​ ​inspired​ ​by​ ​Shakespeare's​ ​Macbeth. Currently​ ​based​ ​in​ ​New​ ​York,​ ​Merz​ ​Trio​ ​engages​ ​in​ ​local​ ​education​ ​and​ ​outreach​ ​work​ ​outside​ ​of their​ ​concert​ ​performances​ ​and​ ​donates​ ​10%​ ​of​ ​their​ ​earnings​ ​to​ ​local​ ​charities. 

Merz Trio members

Brigid Coleridge - Violin
Julia Yang - Cello
Eric Dionne - Piano

Round One

BEETHOVEN Piano Trio in G major op 1 no 2
SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Trio in E minor, op 67 no 2

Round Two

STANHOPE Pulses for Piano Trio
SCHUMANN Piano trio in G minor op 110 no 3
STAUD Für Balínt András Varga