Janaki String Trio

Janaki String Trio brings together three friends and virtuoso musicians whose passion and commitment captivate their audiences as they tackle their music with freshness, energy and maturity. Founded at The Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles in early 2005, the group soon won the 59th Annual Coleman Chamber Music Competition, and in March 2006, the threesome came to national attention as the first string trio ever to win the Concert Artists Guild International Competition. The Trio also garnered the inaugural BMI Foundation Commission Prize, awarded by Concert Artists Guild at the 2006 Competition.
The Janaki Trio makes its New York recital debut in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in January 2007. Selected to participate in Canada’s Banff Music Festival in June 2006, this honor follows an exciting 2005-06 season, highlighted by performances on such series as Sundays Live at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Lagerstrom Chamber Music at Caltech, South Bay Chamber Music Society and the Music Guild Chamber Music Series.
The ensemble takes its name from the Sanskrit word Janaki (YAHN-uh-kye), which symbolizes self-realization, a quality Janaki Trio aims to facilitate in themselves and in their listeners through their music. Indeed, the Trio makes a unique connection with audiences, not only with the standard works of the repertory, but also with rarely heard new masterworks, such as the string trios by Penderecki and Barabba on this album. The audience’s consistent enthusiasm for this adventurous programming has convinced the Trio that listeners are open to new music when it is presented in an exciting way. This has strengthened the ensemble’s commitment to expand the string trio repertoire by commissioning new works from both celebrated and emerging composers. Janaki Trio commissioned Jason Barabba’s String Trio for their upcoming concert repertoire and for this recording.