Merz Trio

Connie Brown Hall, Florida

The Merz Trio’s narrative programming style juxtaposes classical standards, new music, and their own arrangements of familiar and forgotten works, fluidly interwoven and guided with speaking from the trio's members. 

 

Hailing from opposite corners of the globe, the trio met in the middle of a snow storm in NYC in December 2016. Since then, they spend the majority of their lives together, rehearsing, performing and traveling around the world. They have been recognized as winners of the Naumburg, Concert Artists Guild, Fischoff, and Chesapeake Competitions.

 

But whether concerts or competitions, large or small, the most thrilling thing about these experiences is the energetic communities that have emerged from them. Merz Trio loves to be in community with others. We understand what we do as a conversation between ourselves, the composer, our audience, and the changing world we step into each day. Our name, Merz, speaks to this: It’s the term coined by German artist and polymath Kurt Schwitters, who insisted that art only occurred in shared spaces. So Merz refers to connection, to sharing, to possibility. 

 

Alongside our ‘traditional’ recitals, we create original inter-disciplinary projects, sometimes just with ourselves and our extra-musical interests, more often with inspiring and generous artists. So far, we’ve brought our music into conversation with dancers, directors, chefs, sommeliers, puppeteers, and graphic designers. Each time we collaborate, we understand the music that we play differently. Art happens where people are. We hope you'll come along for the ride.