United States ‘WinterFest 2026’ [1] – Martin, Dvořák: Trio Laval (Jordan Bartel [violín], Sarina Zhang [cello], Sean Terada Yang [piano]. Lyrica Boston, Lincoln, Massachusetts, 9.1.2026. (LV)
Frank Martin – Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises
Dvořák – Piano Trio No.3 in F minor, Op.65
Lyrica Boston’s ‘WinterFest 2026’ opened on 9 January with a concert that felt like real chamber music in the old sense: close quarters, direct communication and an audience of 75 fully engaged with the music. Pairing Frank Martin’s Trio on Irish Folk Tunes with Antonín Dvořák’s Piano Trio No.3 in F minor, the youthful virtuosos of Trio Laval gave performances that affirmed the power of music to address a universal soul. They also affirmed the unique qualities of Lyrica Boston as an intensive program of chamber music for emerging professionals run by two consummate inheritors of the great Romantic legacy, violinist Laura Bossert and cellist Terry King. As Jordan Bartel said in his introduction to the Martin, ‘They teach you how to play like you’. And as Guy Fishman, principal cellist of Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society, told me, ‘Lyrica Boston’s program is awesome’.
After the opening tendrils of the Martin gave way to Irish tunes with their spare Celtic harmonic turns and sense of resolution, Sarina Zhang’s cello quickly took the lead with an eloquent, singing tone, establishing a narrative presence that anchored the ensemble. When more violent material entered, the dynamic changes were sharply drawn, yet the quieter passages retained a charismatic hush. The experience was an unalloyed delight – no orchestral padding, no excess, just exposed textures and risk.
In fact, the intimacy of the room sharpened everything. At moments, Sean Terada Yang’s piano may have slightly overwhelmed the balance, lacking a touch of clarity, but the tradeoff was immediacy. The slow movement’s striking cello solo was full of spirit, reflection and longing, including a section with cello pizzicato that spoke with unusual presence. The later movements leaned into character: a Highland dance atmosphere emerged, followed by a grotesque march-like piano figure, until the final jig broke free into a full-blooded dance, exuberant and unapologetic.
From the opening of Dvořák’s Piano Trio No.3 in F minor, inspired, perhaps, by Brahms’s Piano Quintet in the same key, the playing projected an intoxicating blend of Romantic strength, authenticity and passion. The second movement’s second section felt magical, its sense of timing exact, with wonderful rippling piano chords supporting the strings. In the Poco adagio third movement, Bartel floated a high note with disarming ease, the line suspended just long enough to register its fragility. The Finale surged forward with pulsing energy; the rising scales near the end had serious urgency, an impression reinforced by the trio’s refusal to soften the work’s edges.
Throughout the evening, Trio Laval played as musicians deeply connected by shared instinct. That cohesion is no accident. Formed at the University of Michigan in 2024, the ensemble has quickly built a profile that combines awards, wide-ranging travel and a clear commitment to underperformed repertoire. Their concert felt not like a concept imposed from outside but a natural extension of how they listen to one another. In Lyrica Boston’s chamber-music room, their shared way of listening shaped and enriched the entire experience.
Laurence Vittes