The Well-Tempered Ear

Classical music interview: Part 1 of a 2-part interview with the Eroica Trio

By Jacob Stockinger

AN ALERT: THE RECITAL BY VIOLINIST SUZANNE BEIA FOR THIS TUESDAY HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS.

On Thursday, March 11, at 8 p.m. the critically acclaimed Eroica Trio (below) will perform at the Wisconsin Union Theater. The program is Beethoven’s Trio in C Minor, Op. 1, No. 3; Joan Tower’s Trio “For Daniel”; and Dvorak’s famous “Dumky” Trio — a MUST-HEAR program of chamber music.

Then on Saturday, March 13, at 8 p.m. in the Wisconsin Union Theater, the Eroica Trio will perform Beethoven’s “Triple” Concerto with the UW Chamber Orchestra.

Tickets for the March 11 concert are $18, $30 and $35 with $10 admission of UW students. Admission to the March 13 concert is included in those prices. Admission to ONLY the March 13 concerto concert is $10, $5 for UW students. Call 262-2201.

Eroica cellist Sara Sant’ambrogio recently spoke via e-mail with The Ear. The full interview will run in two parts today and tomorrow.

How does being all-female chamber music group make a difference in personal dynamics in rehearsals and performing from your experiences with mixed or male groups?

I think that in an all-female group, you often know more about your colleagues’ personal life than in a mixed group. I have found that the level of emotional intensity is often higher among females during performances. In Western society, women are generally more comfortable expressing emotions and vulnerability and connecting emotionally to others, which are all things that as performing musicians are an asset.

Do you think of the all-female angle as a marketing strategy? Or just luck and how you all got together? How do you answer critics who say that it is a gimmick?

We started playing together when we were 12 years old so we didn’t really think of ourselves as “women” at all! We just knew we had a common drive to live and die through the music, which drew us together as a group.

The press really is what made being all-female a marketing angle, and it was really a surprise to us. It hadn’t occurred to us until that first article that made a big deal about it. I have never seen an article about any all-male groups using that as a marketing tool or strategy, which makes as much sense to me as the opposite.

NOTE: HERE IS A TEASER OF THE EROICA TRIO PERFORMING with other soloists in Astor Piazzolla’s “new tango” masterpiece “Adios, Nonino” — a farewell to the composer’s father than I find one one of the most moving modern works ever written. Boy, would I love to hear that piece as an encore in Madison.

Tomorrow: The Madison program, playing with students, teaching and being a role model for young women