Unencumbered by convention Ahn Trio plays JDHS auditorium Saturday
The Ahn Trio doesn't put many limits on what they can do. Though they are most often described as modern classical musicians, the three sisters - violinist Angella, cellist Maria and pianist Lucia - have a very broad focus in their musical selections, allowing themselves the freedom to be guided by their love of many genres, their appreciation for new works and the pure enjoyment of playing together.
From Shostakovich to Piazolla, Mozart to Bowie, the Ahn Trio's repertoire is unpredictable and wide-ranging, and includes existing works they have re-envisioned, and others that have been written expressly for them, by composers such as Pat Metheny, Michael Nyman and Maurice Jarre. The Seattle Times called their music "a revolution" for the listener.
"We have a very stubborn kind of idea of what we want our music to be," said Angella Ahn. "Luckily we get to have music written for us by the most incredible composers that are alive."
The Ahn Trio will make their first visit to Juneau this weekend, playing at 7:30 p.m. at the Juneau-Douglas High School auditorium Saturday night. The trio has previously played in Anchorage and Fairbanks and is excited to see more of Alaska, Angella said, adding that Alaska and Hawaii are two of their favorite states. They've played in all 50, as well as more than 25 countries, averaging about 100 shows a year.
Though pushing the boundaries of the classical genre is something that the group has become famous for, they didn't set out to do that deliberately, Angella said.
"We've really evolved in a very gradual, organic way," she said.
Originally from Seoul, South Korea, the sisters began their musical education at about the same time. After Lucia insisted on piano lessons soon after kindergarten, her twin sister, Maria, and younger sister, Angella, took an interest as well; Maria learned to play the cello and Angella the violin. Somehow, Angella said, their mother managed to make practice time fun, or at least undreadful, when they were young, a feat made easier, she said, because all three were in it together.
"Rather than playing alone, my sisters were in the other room practicing," she said. "It never seemed so tedious."
Their family moved from Seoul to New York City when the girls were still in elementary school, and the sisters were soon enrolled in The Juilliard School's Pre-College Division, a program for talented young musicians. Meeting other children who took their musical education very seriously helped spur them to take their instruction to a new level.
"That was a huge part of what inspired us." Angella said of the Juilliard experience.
In addition to making leaps in their abilities, the girls began a lifelong process of expanding their musical libraries while living in New York City, listening to a wide variety of musical styles. Their listening habits prior to moving to the United States had been "pretty much straight classical."
"I feel like we were really late bloomers," Angella said. "We didn't know anything about the world of jazz or popular music until we moved here."
The three have developed divergent yet complementary musical tastes. Cellist Maria has an appreciation for Latin music, pianist Lucia loves Keith Jarrett, and Angella will listen to nearly anything with a good fiddle, including bluegrass, old-time and Cape Breton tunes. In some cases, their personal preferences find their way into the trio's repertoire. For example, Maria recently convinced her sisters - after lots of resistance - to try Brazilian music, a genre they've now completely embraced. And it was Lucia's request that they learn the Doors' "Riders on the Storm," a piece featured on their album "Groove Box."
Critics have often suggested that the unusual musical synergy evident in their playing stems from the fact that they're sisters. To this idea Angella responds, "Maybe a tiny bit." Being related does make them less likely to walk away from the group though, she said, and does give them incredible support in their professional lives. The sisters get along "remarkably well," she said, and when quarrels do arise in rehearsal or prior to a performance, they are forgotten as soon as they take up their instruments.
"It's like magic; all the tension disappears," she said. "Truly, that is the power of music."
To see the Ahn sisters in action, visit www.ahntrio.com, or search for "Ahn Trio" at www.youtube.com.
• Contact arts editor Amy Fletcher at amy.fletcher@juneauempire.com