Ahn Trio

Comprising three Korean-American siblings born in Seoul—twins Maria and Lucia Ahn ahead of Angella by two years—the Ahn Trio formed as a classical ensemble after the sisters began piano lessons in childhood, with Lucia remaining on the instrument while Angella switched to violin and Maria to cello. Public performances began in 1979, and after the family moved to the United States the sisters entered Juilliard in 1981. A 1987 Time magazine profile, “Asian-American Whiz Kids,” brought national exposure that produced television appearances and further coverage. Chesky Records started releasing their discs in 1995 with Paris Rio, featuring music by Villa-Lobos and Ravel, while from 1998 their concerts increasingly adopted the free-form eclectic presentation they called “Ahn-Plugged.” EMI issued Dvorak: Piano Trios in 1999, pairing works by Dvorák with pieces by Shostakovich and Josef Suk. Ahn-Plugged followed in June 2000, incorporating compositions by Kenji Bunch, Astor Piazzolla, Leonard Bernstein, Eric Ewazen, and Michael Nyman before closing with the David Bowie/Pat Metheny song “This Is Not America.” Their fourth album, Groovebox, arrived October 22, 2002, beginning with the Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” and continuing with selections by Nyman, Piazzolla, Bunch, and Maurice Jarre. Lullaby for My Favorite Insomniac, released April 1, 2008, on the RCA Red Seal label of Sony BMG Masterworks, marked their fifth album.