| Gryphon Trio | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Classical |
| Labels | Analekta Records |
| Website | gryphontrio.com |
The Gryphon Trio is a Canadian classical music group formed in 1993. The ensemble has been nominated and has won several Juno awards.
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The Gryphon Trio consitst of Annalee Patipatanakoon (violin), Roman Borys (cello) and Jamie Parker (piano). As a resident ensemble on the Faculty of Music at the University of Toronto, the Trio tours regularly throughout Canada, the United States, and Europe. Their recordings include works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Lalo and Shostakovich. With a commitment to expanding the piano trio repertoire, the Trio has commissioned and premiered over 50 works. Their 2004 recording, Canadian Premieres, features the work of Canadian composers and was awarded a Juno. Their most recent recording, Tango Nuevo, features the music of Ástor Piazzolla and Hilario Duran, and is their tenth CD for the Analekta label.[1]
The Gryphon Trio celebrated its tenth anniversary with a Music Toronto performance that included the North American premiere of a recently discovered trio by the Romanian composer George Enescu. The Gryphons were chosen for this honor by the Belgian musicologist Harry Halbreich.
The tenth anniversary concert also launched the group’s fourth CD for Analekta featuring two trios from Beethoven’s Opus 1. Recorded in September 2002 in the Domaine Forget in Saint-Irénée, Quebec, these performances testify to the group’s ensemble skills. The repertoire gives room to explore dynamic range and dramatic contrast, in particular with Beethoven’s weak-beat sforzandos, scherzos and adagios. The prestissimos are demanding, but the Gryphons never lose control. This recording has been compared to the performances released as Beaux Arts Trio – The Early Years (Philips 438 948-2) and the Gryphons are said to hold their own even in such auspicious company.[2]
In 2008, in a joint effort with Canadian composer Christos Hatzis, the trio performed extensively his multi-media piece Constantinople which received international critical acclaim.[1] Hatzis was rewarded a Juno Award for the writing of the piece.[2]
In 2011, the trio won their second Juno award for Classical Album of the Year for their recording of Beethoven's "Ghost" Piano Trio, Op. 70, no. 1, Op. 70, no. 2, and Op. 11.[2]