Music
Press
"This was artistic performance at its best. The music flowed, the instruments sang, delicate passages were handled with nuance, passionate sentiments were movingly portrayed."
— Columbus Dispatch
"Clean and expressive. The glow on the surface of this ensemble's playing goes well with this sweet rhapsodic music."
— American Record Guide
"These three ... phrase with remarkable unanimity, their interplay a breathtaking blend of individual and group virtuosity."
— Newark Star Ledger
"Evocative and expressive."
— Fanfare
- Various Publications
SACD Reviews, DVD Reviews, CD Reviews - Audiophile Audition
MOZART: Piano Trios – The Newstead Trio – Xun Pan, piano; Michael Jamanis,
violin; Sara Male, cello – Prince Productions
This disc represents among the very finest trio recordings I’ve ever heard;
their playing of this oft-recorded Mozart repertory is peerless.
MOZART: Piano Trios – The Newstead Trio – Xun Pan, piano; Michael Jamanis,
violin; Sara Male, cello – Prince Productions 9807 P, 69 mins. *****
[www.newsteadtrio.com]:
From the opening notes of this superb disc I was immediately struck by not only the glorious playing of a trio I’d never heard of before, but also the breathtaking sound pouring forth from my stereo. A quick internet search turned up very little in additional information about either The Newstead Trio or Prince Productions, their record label. [In fact the latter brings up a rap group who instantly yell at you at high volume!...Ed.] The trio is Ensemble In Residence at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music, and the three members apparently share an association rooted in their individual tenures at Rutgers University.
Their playing of these Mozart Trios is nothing short of magnificent, and really shocking to me is that they’re not represented on a major classical label; I guess this is a very telling reminder of the incredibly sorry state of the music industry in general.
A quick scan of the disc’s scant liner notes revealed that the recording
engineer is the legendary Marc Aubort – well, that definitely explains the astonishingly good sound! How refreshing it is to see that his excellent work is still out there; I was, however, disappointed upon checking the Prince website to find only a generic domain availability page. I guess it must still be in the works, and I’m really hoping to have the opportunity to hear not only future recordings by this excellent ensemble, but also the always incredible work of
Marc Aubort.
This disc represents among the very finest trio recordings I’ve ever heard; their playing of this oft-recorded Mozart repertory is peerless, and the recording is simply stunning. Very highly recommended! - Audiophile
Discography
Episodes(2001)
Romanza(2003)
Mozart(2006)
Mendelssohn(2009)
Photos
Bio
The Newstead Trio has captivated audiences worldwide, from New York; London; Budapest; Lhasa, Tibet; Florence, Tuscany; Shanghai and Beijing. They gave their concerto debut performing Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra in Shenzhen, China. The Trio made its New York debut to a standing ovation at Carnegie Hall in 2000, has performed at Lincoln Center, and has been broadcast live worldwide on radio and television. Arnold Steinhardt, a founder of the Guarneri String Quartet observes, “They play with fine ensemble, youthful energy, and thoughtful musicality.”
The Newstead Trio’s innovative and unique concert programming combines traditional piano trio literature with more contemporary works. In addition, they have performed customized residency activities at college campuses spanning the United States and in China, and have been requested as a resident ensemble for various festivals in China, Italy, and the United States. These presentations are characterized by a dramatic variety and have been enjoyed by a wide array of audiences, from students well versed in the art of music to audiences who had never before been exposed to classical chamber music. Of their recent residency at Dartmouth College, Joe Clifford, Outreach and Arts Education Manager, says, “Michael, Sara and Xun…did wonders to show audiences that chamber music (whether classical or contemporary) is a vivid genre, alive with the human spirit.”
The Newstead Trio has also commissioned numerous works by highly respected composers such as Robert Starer and Chen Yi, and has included a world premier performance on three of their four CD’s, all of which are recorded on the Prince Productions label. Of their most recent CD release, Audiophile critic Tom Gibbs writes, “This disc represents among the very finest trio recordings I’ve ever heard; their playing of this oft-recorded Mozart repertory is peerless…”
The Newstead Trio is ensemble in residence at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music and has been included on the Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour roster since its inception in 1996. Additionally, they have had the distinct pleasure to have been named Ambassador for the Qinghai Zongheng Culture and Arts Development Company in China.
MICHAEL JAMANIS, violin
Michael Jamanis received a Bachelor of Music from The Juilliard School, a Master of Music from Yale University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from Rutgers University. He has been the recipient of numerous awards throughout his career, including the Lincoln Center, Victor Herbert, and Metro-Media Awards. In addition, he has worked with such artists as Leonard Bernstein, Arnold Steinhardt and Joseph Fuchs. When Dr. Jamanis is not on tour with the Newstead Trio, he serves as the head of the string department at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music, as well as the artistic director of Vivace, a summer music festival now in its eighth year. Dr. Jamanis is also a visiting professor at China Northwest University for Nationalities and a senior adjunct assistant professor at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
SARA MALE, cello
Canadian cellist Sara Male received an Associate of the Arts in Music degree from the Victoria Conservatory where she was presented the Principal Emeritus Prize. Her major teachers include Bernard Greenhouse, Zara Nelsova and Timothy Eddy. Ms. Male holds a Bachelor of Music with high honors from Rutgers University, and a Master of Music from the Mannes College of Music. Ms. Male is a former member of the Saskatoon Symphony and is well sought after as a chamber music recitalist, having performed in major venues in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia. Ms. Male joined the faculty of the Pennsylvania Academy of Music as cello instructor and director of the Chamber Music Program in 1994 and is an adjunct assistant professor at Franklin and Marshall College.
XUN PAN, piano
Born in Tianjin, China, Xun received his early musical training from his grandmother and parents. He continued his studies at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and Syracuse University, and earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Rutgers University. Xun was the winner of the Dr. Luis Sigall International Piano Competition in Chile in 1987 and the Frinna Awerbuch International Piano Competition in New York in 1992, and has performed solo recitals worldwide from Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall to China's Beijing Concert Hall. Currently, Xun serves as chairman of the piano department at the Pennsylvania Academy of Music and is a visiting professor at the China Conservatory of Music, China Northwest University for Nationalities, and at Wenzhou University.
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