Friends of Music Concerts continues its 73rd season with the multiple-prize-winning young artists of Trio Azura, Sunday, Oct. 18 at 3:00 p.m. at Sleepy Hollow High School in Sleepy Hollow.
Violinist Duncan McDougall, cellist Yejin Hong and pianist Yanfeng (Tony) Bai – all under the age of 30 — just won acclaim for their Carnegie Hall debut on Oct. 14. They will be presenting the same works on the Friends of Music Concerts’ stage for Westchester audiences.
“The program gave the trio ample opportunity to express their expressive and technical skills. Their personal charm came across too, in both their playing and their spoken introductions,” wrote Jon Sobel about their performance of Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor, Jennifer Higdon’s Piano Trio and Mendelssohn’s Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 66.
The group “applied a velvety texture and soft colors” to the Mendelssohn, demonstrated “glasslike clarity and a silvery tone” in the Ravel and applied a “truly virtuosic synchrony” to the Higdon, Sobel wrote.
Trio Azura is a recipient of Friends of Music Concerts’ YCA Performance Award, given to winners of the annual Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions.
The acclaim for these young artists includes:
- 2024 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition: Won the Grand Prize, Gold Medal (Senior String Division), Lift Every Voice Prize, and the Horszowski Trio Prize for Piano Trio.
- 2025 Young Concert Artists (YCA) Susan Wadsworth International Auditions: In addition to being named a winner, appointed YCA Jacobs Fellows, and selected as the organization’s first ensemble-in-residence.
- Colburn Collection Debut Album: Released their debut album titled “Storytellers,” in partnership with the Delos label and Los Angeles’ Colburn School, featuring works by Charles Ives, John Harbison and Jennifer Higdon.
Audience members may meet the artists at the post-concert reception. Please note that traffic is very busy in the fall so patrons should leave extra time for travel.
Single tickets are $50 for adults and available here and at the door. Those age 18 and under are admitted free. For discounted admission, there is a season-long FlexSub “choose your own” option: an advance purchase of four or more admissions at $45 apiece, each of which is good for a ticket to any concert. For the full season lineup, click here. To purchase a FlexSub, click here.
For more information, email tickets@friendsofmusicconcerts.org, or call 914-861-5080.
