Cecilian Chamber Series – Trio Hélios

Light and Shades Trio Hélios, one of France's most exciting new-generation piano trios, makes its North American debut with a program spanning music from the First and Second World Wars. Maurice Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor was written in 1914 with intense fervour and urgency on his part - the First World War was looming. In describing his feelings while writing the piece, he says: “I have never worked with more insane, more heroic intensity,” and “I am working on the Trio with the sureness and lucidity of a madman.” Ravel’s work paid off: the result was a true masterpiece. The opening Modéré draws on Basque folk dance rhythms, while the scherzo, Pantoum, combines mischievous, romantic, and expressive themes in a shower of sparks. A solemn Passacaille follows, rooted in a dance form from the Spanish Renaissance, before the Finale returns to Basque dance rhythms, bringing the work to a grand, symphonic close. A contemporary of Ravel, Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste and D’un matin de printemps were the two final works of her short life. These complementary pieces show, on one hand, her restrained and poignant side, and on the other, a vibrant boldness and dancing freshness. Dmitri Shostakovich’s Second Piano Trio emerges from tragedy and loss resulting from the Second World War: mourning his friend Ivan Sollertinsky and other war victims, the work carries both personal grief and the dark shadows of history. The finale notably draws upon a Jewish folk theme, its spectral dance tinged with irony and defiance – music that Shostakovich would echo once more in his Eighth String Quartet, dedicated “to the victims of war and fascism.” Tickets are $70 for Level 1, $65 for Level 2, and $25 for students. Prices are inclusive of fees and taxes. Seating is assigned. Single tickets go on sale on August 15, 2026. To donate to the Cecilian Chamber Series, please visit: DONATE Biography: Founded in 2014, Trio Hélios has performed in such prestigious venues as the Philharmonie de Paris, Salle Cortot, Wigmore Hall, the Lyon Opera House, and the Phoenix Hall in Osaka. The Trio is regularly featured at numerous festivals, including the Festival de la Roque d'Anthéron, the "Folles Journées " (Nantes, Tokyo, and Warsaw), the Festival Pablo Casals, and Rencontres Musicales d'Evian, among others. The ensemble has been broadcast on media including Medici.tv and Radio France Musique, Radio Classique, Musiq3 (Belgium), and Kulturhaus Radio (Austria). Over the past years, they have gained attention through several international prizes, including 2nd Prize at the Lyon International Chamber Music Competition, the Special Prize at the Liszt Competition, and 2nd Prize at the Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition. Trio Hélios was also awarded the KammerMusik Preis, Klavierkammermusik Preis, and Wiener Klassik Preis at the Isa Festival in Reichenau, Austria. The Trio’s debut album “D’un matin de printemps” was released in 2021 with the label Mirare, featuring an all-French program (Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Boulanger). This was followed in 2023 by their second album, “Bohemia”, a Czech program (Smetana, Novàk, Fibich), which won the CHOC Classica Award. Trio Hélios studied at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris and are alumni of the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA). The Trio has benefited from the guidance of teachers such as Johannes Meissl, Patrick Jüdt, Trio Wanderer, Hatto Beyerle, and Avedis Kouyoumdjian. Trio Hélios is “Ensemble in residence” at the Fondation Singer-Polignac, and is represented by the Claire Laballery Agency. Luka Ispir (violin), Raphaël Jouan (cello), Alexis Gournel (piano) Program: Maurice Ravel: Piano Trio in A minor Lili Boulanger: D’un soir triste – D’un matin de printemps (On a Sad Evening – On a Spring Morning) —Intermission— Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Trio No. 2, Op. 67