June 20th, 2026
1:00 PM
SDPA Faculty Recital - PIANO TRIO / SETH QUAY, KATIE BURNS, RENAUDO ROBINSON
Saturday, June 20th, 2026 1:00PM
Merry-Go-Round of Life - Joe Hisaishi, arr. Grissini Project
Night - Florence Price, arr. Merz Trio
Czardas - Vittorio Monti, arr. Layers
Liebestraum - Franz Liszt, arr. Richard Klugescheidt
Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor - Felix Mendelssohn
I. Allegro energico e con fuoco
II. Andante espressivo
III. Scherzo
IV. Finale: Allegro appassionato
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PROGRAM NOTES
The piano trio, typically consisting of piano, violin, and cello, is one of the most enduring and versatile ensembles in classical music. Emerging in the late eighteenth century, the genre evolved into a true partnership among three equal voices. Composers such as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Brahms, and Dvořák favored the piano trio as a vehicle for both intimate conversation and symphonic-scale expression.
The unique combination of instruments offers a remarkable range of color and texture: the piano provides harmonic richness and rhythmic drive, while the violin and cello contribute contrasting timbres that can sing, converse, and intertwine. Today's program showcases the versatility of the piano trio, from beloved film music and Romantic miniatures to virtuosic showpieces and one of the nineteenth century's greatest chamber music masterpieces.
Merry-Go-Round of Life
Joe Hisaishi (b. 1950)
from Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
arr. Grissini Project
Few film composers have achieved the international acclaim of Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi, whose long collaboration with filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli has produced some of cinema's most beloved scores. Merry-Go-Round of Life serves as the principal theme for Howl's Moving Castle, a fantastical tale of magic, war, and transformation.
Night
Florence Price (1887–1953)
arr. Merz Trio
Florence Price holds a landmark place in American music history as the first African American woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. Her music is now recognized as a vital missing chapter in American classical music history. While she is increasingly celebrated for her orchestral works, her songs and shorter piano pieces reveal a deeply personal and lyrical voice.
Night, originally composed as a song, is one of Price's most evocative miniatures. This piece’s serene, moonlit atmosphere demonstrates her grounding in Romantic and Impressionistic harmonic traditions, while its soulful melodic lines hint at the spirituals and hymns that shaped her artistic voice
Text:
Night comes, a Madonna clad in scented blue.
Rose red her mouth, and deep her eyes,
She lights her stars, and turns to where,
Beneath her silver lamp the moon,
Upon a couch of shadow lies
A dreamy child,
The wearied day. - Louise C. Wallace
Czardas
Vittorio Monti (1868–1922)
arr. Layers
Composed in 1904, Czardas has become one of the most celebrated showpieces in the violin repertoire. Although its composer, Vittorio Monti, was Italian, the work draws inspiration from the Hungarian czárdás dance, known for its dramatic contrast between slow, expressive sections and dazzling fast passages.
The combination of folk-inspired melodies and technical brilliance has made Czardas a favorite among performers and audiences alike. This arrangement preserves the work's electrifying spirit while showcasing the collective virtuosity of the ensemble.
Liebestraum
Franz Liszt (1811–1886)
arr. Richard Klugescheidt
Franz Liszt's Liebestraum ("Dream of Love") was originally conceived as a set of songs and later reimagined for solo piano. Liebestraum became especially famous for its soaring melodies and expressive emotional range, blending Liszt's hallmark virtuosity and poetic expression and balancing technical brilliance with a tender meditation on love.
Piano Trio No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 66
Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847)
Completed in 1845, Mendelssohn's second piano trio stands among the crowning achievements of the Romantic chamber music repertoire. Written during the final years of the composer's life, the work combines passionate intensity with the clarity, balance, and craftsmanship that characterize Mendelssohn's style.
I. Allegro energico e con fuoco
The opening movement sets the emotional stakes immediately with restless energy and dramatic urgency.
II. Andante espressivo
The second movement offers a lyrical contrast, unfolding as a tender and songlike melody. Often compared to one of Mendelssohn's celebrated Songs Without Words, the movement features flowing melodies over rich piano harmonies that create an atmosphere of gentle introspection.
III. Scherzo
This piece is classic Mendelssohn: quicksilver, whimsical and weightless, showcasing his unparalleled ability to make chamber music feel airborne. The music vanishes as quickly as it appears.
IV. Finale: Allegro appassionato
The final movement returns to the passionate intensity of the opening movement, driving forward with fiery momentum, and dramatic emotional depth. This movement concludes the work with a brilliant transformation from darkness to light, leaving the listener with a sense of luminous, triumphant closure.
SETH QUAY is a versatile pianist, performer, and educator whose career blends classical artistry with a wide-ranging musical background. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Montana, where his success in competition earned him a performance of Ravel’s Concerto in G Major with orchestra and national-level recognition in both solo and collaborative categories of the MTNA Young Artist Competition.
Seth began his professional performing career at the historic Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park, where he played over 30 hours a week for audiences from around the world. His classical training in both solo and collaborative performance has taken him across the U.S. and Europe, where he has worked alongside renowned artists and pedagogues including Francine Kay, Chee-Hwa Tan, Christopher Hahn, Lydia Brown, and Riko Higuma.
Deeply committed to new music and interdisciplinary collaboration, Seth has worked closely with prominent contemporary composers such as David Maslanka, Daniel Schnyder, and Gernot Wolfgang. His musical interests also extend to improvisation, jazz, singing, and percussion, making him a well-rounded and dynamic artist.
He holds a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Denver, where his research focused on learning processes and performance wellness. A dedicated teacher, Seth incorporates mindfulness techniques to reduce tension and foster meaningful musical connections. His holistic approach empowers students to grow as both musicians and individuals.
Based in Southern California, Seth is an active solo and collaborative performer and a nationally recognized presenter on mindfulness in music education, with appearances at the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy and the Music Teachers National Association.
KATIE BURNS is a cellist, educator, and collaborator with a passion for unique and meaningful musical experiences grounded in humanity.
Growing up outside of Chicago, IL, Katie started piano lessons at age 5, and then chose to learn the cello in her school orchestra at age 9. As a young cellist, Katie studied with pedagogue Sally Gross at the Western Springs School for Talent Education, who served as a major influence for her to pursue Suzuki training. Katie received a Bachelor of Music from Butler University where she was a student of Dr. William Grubb, and a Master of Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Denver where she was a graduate assistant for Carol Tarr and Matthew Zalkind. As a freelance cellist and collaborator, Katie has performed across the United States and Europe at venues such as Ball Arena, Buell Theatre, and Red Rocks Amphitheater. Katie has served as Principal Cellist of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, co-founded guitar/cello duo Solazur, and has played for various musicals, ballets, operas, film recordings, and season concerts since 2003. Outside the realm of classical music, Katie also frequently collaborates as a guest artist and studio musician in genres ranging from Americana and Celtic to Rock and Jazz. In 2024, Katie was featured on the soundtrack of the short film, Come Out, Wherever You Are.
Katie currently runs an active private cello studio in Denver, CO, serves as String Pedagogy Specialist and Teaching Artist for El Sistema Colorado, and is on faculty with Lamont Suzuki Strings. Through these organizations, Katie's vision is to develop beautiful hearts and enrich the lives of young people and their families through high quality and equitable cello instruction and music education. She has featured El Sistema Colorado's work with early childhood learners as a presenter at the ESUSA Symposium, and continues to play an integral role in program-wide curriculum development for El Sistema Colorado.
RENAUDO ROBINSON is an accomplished soloist, chamber musician, and educator based in Los Angeles, California. He currently serves as concertmaster of the City Ballet Orchestra of San Diego and has previously held concertmaster positions with the Pacific Lyric Opera Orchestra and the Villa Musica Chamber Players. His performance experience spans a wide range of ensembles, including the Chicago Sinfonietta, La Jolla Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Modern Orchestra Project, and the Matt Jones Orchestra. He has also appeared with the Coronado Philharmonia, Cabrillo Chamber Orchestra, Michigan Philharmonic, Dearborn Symphony, Rochester Symphony, and Oakland-Pontiac Symphony.
A prize-winning laureate, Renaudo has been recognized by the James Tatum Foundation for the Arts Scholarship Competition (2005), the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Competition (2006), and the Jose Etta Daley Young Artists Competition (2009).
As an educator, Renaudo maintains a private teaching studio in Los Angeles and has held teaching positions with Mission Hills Music, California Music Studios, the Sphinx Organization’s Flint Overture Program, and the Flint Institute of Music.
He earned dual undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan—a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in French and Francophone Studies. He went on to complete his graduate studies at DePaul University, receiving both a Master of Music and a Performance Certificate in Violin Performance.