Signature Series IX: Sylvan Trio: Suzanne Bona, flute, Josh Aerie, cello, and Greg Kostraba, piano

Comprised of the eclectic instrumentation of flute, cello and piano, the Sylvan Trio explores new music as well as pieces from the standard repertoire.

The group has performed throughout the United States, from Stony Brook, NY, to Duluth, MN to Missoula, MT, including concerts in Chicago, Cincinnati & St. Louis. Their studio and live recordings receive airplay throughout the U.S. and beyond, including multiple appearances on Performance Today (the nation’s most listened-to classical music program).

Adventurous and creative, the Sylvans will often adapt works from the traditional piano trio literature and other repertoire, breathing new vitality into pieces across the art-music spectrum from Purcell to Piazzolla.

The Sylvans are known for dynamic, engaging performances that blur the line between stage and audience by incorporating discussion, talk-back sessions, and demonstrations. They are enthusiastic presenters of new works, and eager collaborators with composers, presenters, educators, other musicians, and artists of all kinds.

The Trio is dedicated to making a positive impact through the power of musical outreach and education. They offer educational programming and engagement in the form of masterclasses, workshops, clinics, and lecture-demonstrations. The Sylvan Trio has performed and presented at universities, secondary schools, community music schools, performing arts centers, libraries, churches, nightclubs, and on live radio broadcasts.

The Sylvans latest recording is “A Pirate’s Christmas” by Rick Sowash, heard on radio stations throughout the U.S. & Canada throughout the holiday season. Their full-length album, “Music for Flute, Cello & Piano by Women Composers” on the independent Kickshaw Records label, features music by Clara Schumann, Mel Bonis & others. They also recorded the eponymous piece on the 2018 album, Seasonal Breezes: Five Chamber Works by Rick Sowash. Sowash composed “Seasonal Breezes” for the Trio, a four-movement work depicting the seasons and inspired by poetry and song.