Dolce Suono Trio

Dolce Suono Trio
Mimi Stillman, flute
Yumi Kendall, cello
Charles Abramovic, piano

     The Dolce Suono Trio – Mimi Stillman, flute, Yumi Kendall, cello, and Charles Abramovic, piano – is comprised of three Curtis Institute of Music graduates who dazzle audiences and the press with their artistic brilliance, elegance, and dynamism. "Beautiful texturing…a stunning ensemble" (The Philadelphia Inquirer). The ensemble emerged in 2006 from long and fruitful partnerships among the artists. Recent performances include the Dolce Suono Chamber Music Concert Series, of which Mimi Stillman is founder and Artistic Director, at venues including First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Haverford College, Glencairn Museum.

     The Dolce Suono Trio's 2009-10 season engagements include the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Swarthmore College, Curtis Institute of Music, Bard College, Market Square Concerts, and a special interdisciplinary project involving student artists at Moore College of Art and Design. The ensemble will premiere a new trio by Charles Abramovic, jointly commissioned by the Dolce Suono Chamber Music Concert Series and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Abramovic's work will be a reflection on Haydn in honor of the bicentennial of the composer's death. The ensemble has commissioned Richard Danielpour to write a new work, Persian Memories: Trio for Flute, Cello, and Piano, which they will premiere and tour with during the 2010-11 season.

     The ensemble's programming reflects a strong commitment to the music of today's composers. The trio collaborated with Ned Rorem and George Crumb, who remarked "it's a real pleasure for a composer to hear one's music played with both bravura and musical sensitivity." Dolce Suono Trio's "Spotlight on Philadelphia Composers" concert on the Dolce Suono Chamber Music Concert Series in October 2007 was webcast on newmusicphiladelphia.com, the website of the American Composers Forum Philadelphia. The Dolce Suono Trio's commissioning program has resulted in important new contributions to the repertoire. In spring 2009, they premiered and gave subsequent performances of a commissioned work by Jeremy Gill, Ode: A Dramatic Cantata for Mezzo-soprano, Flute/Piccolo, Cello, and Piano, a work based on ancient Greek sources and intended as a companion piece for Ravel's Chansons Madécasses, written for the same instrumentation.

     The members of the Dolce Suono Trio enjoy distinguished careers in their own right. Mimi Stillman is one of the most highly regarded flutists in the concert world today. She is internationally acclaimed as soloist with The Philadelphia Orchestra, Bach Collegium Stuttgart, and other orchestras and solo and chamber performances at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Verbier Festival, La Jolla Chamber Music Society, and other major venues. At 12, she was the youngest wind player ever admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree and studied with Julius Baker and Jeffrey Khaner. She is a Yamaha Performing Artist, and was the youngest wind player ever to win the prestigious Young Concert Artists, among numerous awards. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Dolce Suono Chamber Music Concert Series. She holds an M.A. in history from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a published author on music and history. www.mimistillman.org. Yumi Kendall is Assistant Principal Cello of The Philadelphia Orchestra. She made her concerto debut with the National Symphony Orchestra and has performed at festivals including Music from Angel Fire, the Taos School of Music, Verbier Festival, and the Marlboro Music Festival. She is a member of the Dryden String Quartet. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with David Soyer and Peter Wiley. Charles Abramovic has won critical acclaim for his international performances as soloist, chamber musician, and collaborator with leading instrumentalists and singers. Mr. Abramovic made his orchestral debut at the age of fourteen with the Pittsburgh Symphony. He performs regularly with artists such as Midori, Viktoria Mullova, and Sarah Chang. Mr. Abramovic is professor of keyboard studies at Temple University's Esther Boyer College of Music. He is a distinguished composer as well as interpreter of new music. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, Peabody Conservatory, and received his DMA degree from Temple University.

Comments from composers:
"I want to express to you my appreciation for your very beautiful performance of my "VOX BALAENAE" on your recent Dolce Suono concert! It's a real pleasure for a composer to hear one's music played with both bravura and musical sensitivity. I want to wish you and Dolce Suono continued success in all your future endeavors." – George Crumb

"Thank you for the beautiful playing of the flute Trio." – Ned Rorem

"The members of the Dolce Suono Trio combine to deliver not only the sweet sounds that are their trademark, but high energy and excitement as well, with a wide range of emotions in between. Their conviction for new music is a boon to contemporary composers, and working with them is a true delight." – Curt Cacioppo

Press quotes:
"Beautiful texturing…a stunning ensemble"
– The Philadelphia Inquirer

"The trio performed with enthusiasm and emotion… One of the most enjoyable parts of the concert was the rapport between the performers and the audience members."
– The Bi-College News

"Think classical music is stuffy and inaccessible? Think again."
– The Bulletin

"The three rendered its verses to perfection."
– Philadelphia Inquirer