Trio Azura - Storytellers: Higdon, Harbison, Ives (2026) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Piano Trio: I. Pale Yellow
02. Piano Trio: II. Fiery Red
03. Piano Trio No. 2 “Short Stories”: I. Tale
04. Piano Trio No. 2 “Short Stories”: II. Ballad
05. Piano Trio No. 2 “Short Stories”: III. Rumors and Reports
06. Piano Trio No. 2 “Short Stories”: IV. Enigma
07. Piano Trio: I. Moderato
08. Piano Trio: II. TSIAJ (“This Scherzo Is a Joke”). Presto
09. Piano Trio: III. Moderato con moto

Trio Azura’s Storytellers launches the Colburn Collection: an exclusive new recording partnership between Delos and the Colburn School, Los Angeles, whose main design is to be a powerful springboard for the next generation of musicians. Nearly a century separates the works on this album, yet Charles Ives, John Harbison, and Jennifer Higdon share a distinctly American spirit of curiosity and individuality. Their music questions, provokes, implies, jokes, challenges, and explores, always searching for new ways to tell a story. Their singular compositional voices are realized in these performances by Trio Azura, praised by Gramophone for their “intelligence and imagination” and “profound emotion.” Ensemble-in-Residence at Colburn, Trio Azura was named the winner of the 2025 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions and the organization’s first Ensemble-in-Residence, as well as the Grand Prize winner of the 2024 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Trio Azura consists of Canadian violinist Duncan McDougall, South Korean cellist Yejin Hong, and Chinese pianist Yanfeng (Tony) Bai.