trio with(out)

media release: Dreams-Bend, a concert for viola, clarinet, and piano by trio with(out), will be presented at Arts + Literature Laboratory on Friday, March 10, 2023 at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for ALL members, and $20 general admission in advance at https://dreamsbend.bpt.me, or at the door for $25.

In Dreams-Bend, trio with(out) beckons the listener into the world of the night and of dreams, contrasting the richness of Romantic chamber music with subtle and enigmatic contemporary works. At the program’s center is Du Yun’s “Dreams-Bend,” for which this performance is named. Written for speaker and ensemble, this piece is featured alongside poetry-centered works by Lori Freedman, Nahre Sol, and Micah Behr. 

Dreams-Bend blends the Romantic beauty of Brahms and Schumann with the sphinxlike mystery of Kurtag and Ades to evoke the unsettled, twisting fantasy of dreams. Inspired by this dark-hued palette, Sol and Behr have written new trios specifically for this program.

trio with(out) is a clarinet, viola, and piano ensemble composed of artists from Madison, Wisconsin and Toronto, Canada. The musicians first collaborated at the Stoughton Chamber Music Festival in 2020. With each artist contributing a distinct perspective and skill set, from composition and multi-instrumental ability to curation and theatrical programming, trio with(out) presents a new vision for chamber music.

Micah Behr — pianist, violist, composer (Madison, Wisconsin)

Madlen Breckbill — violist, violinist (Stoughton, Wisconsin)

Brad Cherwin — clarinetist (Toronto, Canada)