Beyond The Pacific Trio Barclay

• Sheridan Seyfried (b. 1984): Piano Trio No. 1:
• 1 Seyfried: Piano Trio No. 1: I. Moderato 06:28
• 2 Seyfried: Piano Trio No. 1: II. Energico 05:35
• 3 Seyfried: Piano Trio No. 1: III. Lento espressivo 08:05
• 4 Seyfried: Piano Trio No. 1: IV. Vivace 05:03
• John Wineglass (b. 1973): Piano Trio No. 2 "Orcas Island":
• 5 Wineglass: Piano Trio No. 2 "Orcas Island": I. Sea of Islands 09:02
• 6 Wineglass: Piano Trio No. 2 "Orcas Island": II. Quiet Sunsets 05:13
• 7 Wineglass: Piano Trio No. 2 "Orcas Island": III. Doe Bay's Cove 05:29
• Michael Fine (b. 1950): Piano Trio No. 2 "California":
• 8 Fine: Piano Trio No. 2 "California": I. Allegro ritmico 05:52
• 9 Fine: Piano Trio No. 2 "California": II. Adagio 06:15
• 10 Fine: Piano Trio No. 2 "California": III. Adagio sostenuto 02:42
• 11 Fine: Piano Trio No. 2 "California": IV. Allegretto 03:39
• Total Runtime 01:03:23

Info for Beyond The Pacific

Trio Barclay releases "Beyond the Pacific": three never-before-recorded works by living composers - Sheridan Seyfried, John Wineglass and Michael Fine - on the Orchid Classics label, produced by the Grammy-winning Michael Fine.

Beyond the Pacific tells a musical tale of three artists who have a deep connection to the Pacific both culturally and geographically. Each of the pieces have an emotional connection to the Pacific, with two of the works titled after beautiful locations on the Pacific Coast. The water-like textures of the music and the contrapuntal interplay between the instruments suggest the power and subtleties of the world’s greatest ocean.

“Trio Barclay appears to have sprung to life fully formed… a group whose members interact with precision and ease, who feint and dodge as if of one mind.” - Voice of OC

Trio Barclay present “Beyond The Pacific”, an album of contemporary works for piano trio that sits at the intersection of chamber music excellence and a 21st-century American musical experience.

The album opens with a cathartic journey: the Piano Trio No. 1 of Sheridan Seyfried. Energetic and heartfelt in equal measure, the range of tones and colour on display throughout the album is immediately apparent. Elsewhere, “Orcas Island: The Rose of the San Juan Islands” by John Wineglass heightens the imagery, depicting a stunning portrait of the seascapes of the Pacific Northwest.

Further down the Western coastline, Michael Fine’s “California” delights in the fascinating multi-culturalism of the Golden State, the third of three works showcased fittingly by three of California’s foremost chamber musicians.

Trio Barclay present these thought-provoking works with their usual flair and vigour. Having fostered a reputation as an ensemble of big musical personalities who create dynamic and exciting musical experiences across North America and beyond, this album is a moving and nostalgic return home, underscored by three gems of contemporary classical music.

Established in 2021 as the resident ensemble of the Barclay Theatre in Irvine, California, Trio Barclay represents the culmination of decades of artistic collaboration between its members. Jonah and Dennis have frequently appeared together at the Interlochen Arts Academy and Festival Mozaic, while Jonah and Sean made their recital debut at the Kennedy Center and have performed as recital partners for years. Their recent recording of the Romantic Sonatas for Cello and Piano by Rachmaninoff and Barber, released on the Delos label, received wide critical acclaim.

Bound by deep friendship and mutual respect, Trio Barclay offers a dynamic and inspiring musical experience, dedicated to elevating the art of collaboration and delivering unforgettable performances of both timeless classics and the music of today.

Demonstrating a steadfast commitment to contemporary music, Trio Barclay has commissioned a new composition for every performance on their home stage, featuring works by John Wineglass, Sheridan Seyfried, Michael Fine, Sebastian Chang, Ya-Jhu Yang, Mark Abel and many others. Over their four years together, the Trio has significantly expanded the piano trio repertoire. Their latest recording is a labor of love, created to bring this new music closer to the hearts of fellow listeners. The ensemble has championed these works in concert both at home and on tour, performing across the United States, Central and South America, and Asia. Appearances at Festival Napa Valley, Festival Mozaic, and the Busan International Chamber Music Festival have established them as audience favorites.

Their performances—both live and recorded—can be experienced online, including their powerful soundtrack for Defining Courage: The Documentary, featured as the 25th episode of Our America on Disney+ and Hulu.For this album, Trio Barclay collaborated closely with each of the three featured composers, drawing on their long- standing creative partnerships both as an ensemble and as individual artists. Their interpretations reflect an intimate understanding of each composer’s distinctive voice.

Michael Fine, a Grammy winning producer, has also achieved international success as a composer. His works have been performed around the world by leading artists, and recordings include albums entirely of his chamber works (also featuring cellist Jonah Kim from the Trio’s new album), and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. His second trio, making its premiere on this album, is title California and offers imagery of the Golden State's multicultural mosaic through its variety, contrast, and musical eclecticism. Lively exterior movements bookend two soulful and personal adagios in the middle. The whole journey ends on a note of joyful affirmation.

Emmy Award-winning composer John Christopher Wineglass is equally at home writing for the screen and the concert hall and has enjoyed substantial recognition in both domains. The Washington Post has praised the "iridescent colors" of his music - colors that are often apparent in his many pieces which focus on the beauty of the natural world, such as the trio on this album (his second), inspired by Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest. This work takes audiences from scenic vistas to atmospheric shorelines, with moods mysterious, evocative, and ecstatic by turns, painting a musical picture of rugged coastlines and luminous sunsets for his audience. The excursion is immersive, and delivered with aplomb by the Barclays.

The music of Sheridan Seyfried is a favorite among audiences and performers alike, offering a melodic and emotive style complete with plenty of drama. Seyfried's works have been played by artists including violinists Ray Chen and Ida Kavafian, and clarinetist David Shifrin, and have been featured on national radio (Performance Today), and at venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. Trained at the Curtis Institute by Richard Danielpour, he counts among his musical influences American folk music, cinematic scores, and composers from Beethoven to Bartok. These sounds are all apparent in the four-movement trio recorded by the Barclays - the impassioned opening gives way to the frenetic energy of the second movement, while the heartfelt third movement leads to a finale of great spirit and charm. Seyfried is a close friend and collaborator of all the members of Trio Barclay, having written sonatas for each of them individually, and three full-length trios for the ensemble, with a fourth in the works.

The album’s gorgeous aesthetic is no accident - album producer Michael Fine is a star in the classical world. His accolades include a stint as Artistic Director of Deutsche Gramophone, where he produced top selling releases in the late 90s, working with musicians including Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli, and Anne-Sophie Mutter. He continues to be highly sought-after, working more recently with artists such as Myung Whun Chung, Valery Gergiev, and the Vienna Philharmonic. In this new release, Fine captures the intimate expression and full-throated passion of the Barclays, delivering a velvety-smooth sound the listener will want to surround themselves with.

Trio Barclay:
Sean Kennard, piano
Dennis Kim, violin
Jonah Kim, cello

Trio Barclay
is an ensemble of big musical personalities who have joined together to create dynamic and exciting musical experiences. The ensemble made its stellar debut at the Barclay in June 2021 and is the first Ensemble-in-Residence in the Barclay’s 30-year history.

The trio’s founding is the culmination of years of collaboration between its members. Dennis and Jonah have appeared frequently at Festival Mozaic and at the Interlochen Arts Academy. Jonah and Sean have played as recital partners for years, recently releasing a duo album on the Delos label.

Bound together by friendship and mutual respect, Trio Barclay is on a mission to take piano trio music to new heights, offering definitive and unforgettable performances of works ranging from the early 18th century to the music of our day.

Trio Barclay has commissioned a new composition for every season performance on their home stage including works by John Wineglass, Sheridan Seyfried, Sebastian Chang, Ya-Jhu Yang and Fernando Arroyo García-Lascurain. Trio Barclay has been invited to perform across the United States and Asia. Their appearances at the Busan International Chamber Music Festival and Festival Mozaic in San Luis Obispo in recent seasons saw them become instant favorites. They can be heard on the soundtrack to DEFINING COURAGE: THE DOCUMENTARY streaming as the 25th Episode of OUR AMERICA on DISNEY+ and HULU. Trio Barclay is the first Ensemble-in-Residence of the Irvine Barclay Theatre in Orange County, California.

Sean Kennard American pianist Sean Kennard has won top prizes in the Queen Elisabeth Competition (Belgium), the International Music Competition of Vina del Mar (Chile), the Vendome International Piano Competition (Portugal), the Sendai International Music Competition (Japan), the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (USA), the National Chopin Competition, the Iowa Piano Competition, the American Pianists Association, and the International Chopin Competition of the Pacific.

The Washington Post praised Kennard’s “powerful and involved music making,” describing him as “a strong luminous pianist.” His 2011 debut album received a rave review in American Record Guide, which pronounced it “a hidden gem,” attesting to its “perfect blend of lyricism and romantic passion,” “huge romantic sound, and bold melodic vision.” It proclaimed that he “plays the dickens out of the Stravinsky [Three Movements from Petrushka]” and “plays Chopin’s Preludes with more poise and vision than most pianists who have recorded them.” Fanfare affirmed the enthusiastic reception, naming the album “a very desirable disc” and citing “Kennard’s mastery of Chopin’s idiom,” its “impression of complete effortlessness” and “emotional responsiveness.” The review characterized his playing as “full of life and sparkle.” His most recent disc featuring sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti was released by Naxos in 2017, and he is scheduled to record a new album for Delos in 2018, featuring works by 20th century American composers.

Kennard has appeared as soloist with orchestras around the world including the Prague Radio Symphony, NHK Chamber Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Osaka Symphony Orchestra, Sendai Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Belgium, Chamber Orchestra of Frankfurt, Morocco Philharmonic, Chile Symphony Orchestra, Montevideo Philharmonic, Sinfonia Perugina (Italy), National Symphony Orchestra (Dominican Republic), and many others throughout the United States and abroad. He has appeared in recital and chamber music in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, Salle Cortot (Paris), Palais des Beaux-arts (Brussels), Gulbenkian Foundation (Lisbon), Chopin Society (Warsaw), Teatro Caio Melisso (Spoleto), Sala dei Notari (Perugia), Tokyo Opera City Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Hong Kong City Hall, Mohamed V Theater (Morocco), Teatro del Lago (Chile), and many more.

Upcoming events include recitals and master classes in Australia, China, Uruguay, Costa Rica, and throughout the United States, guest artist and faculty member at the Costa Rica Piano Festival and Competition, and adjudicating the Steinway and Sons Piano Competition. He is the artistic director of the Great Pianists at Stetson recital series and the Stetson Piano Scholars festival.

Dennis Kim A citizen of the world, Dennis Kim was born in Korea, raised in Canada and educated in the United States. He has spent over a decade leading orchestras in the United States, Europe and Asia.

At 22, Kim was appointed concertmaster of the Tucson Symphony. He was then appointed the youngest concertmaster in the history of the Hong Kong Philharmonic before going on to be the youngest concertmaster of the Seoul Philharmonic. Kim then became the first foreign concertmaster of the Tampere Philharmonic in Finland. Before moving to California, he was concertmaster of Bu?alo Philharmonic in New York. As guest concertmaster, he has performed on four continents, leading the American Ballet Theater Orchestra, BBC Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Qatar Philharmonic, Bergen Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lille, KBS Symphony, Montpelier Symphony, Malaysian Philharmonic, Western Australia Symphony and Symphony Orchestra of Navarra.

A dedicated teacher, Kim is Assistant Professor of Violin at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts, University of California, Irvine. This summer, he joins the National Orchestral Academy of Canada faculty and the Interlochen Center for the Arts as Valade Concertmaster in the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. Previously he has taught at Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Korean National University of the Arts, Yonsei University, Tampere Conservatory, and Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Former students play in orchestras worldwide, including Seoul Philharmonic, KBS Symphony, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lille, and Pacific Symphony.

In addition to serving as concertmaster of Pacific Symphony, Kim also performs regularly in studio orchestras in Hollywood, working with prominent composers such as John Williams and Alan Menken. He can be heard on movies such as Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, The Lego Movie 2, Toy Story 4, Transformers VII, and TV shows like Bridgerton and The Mandalorian.

A champion of music written in the present day, Kim has commissioned and premiered numerous works with orchestra and chamber ensembles. He commissioned a concerto from Sheridan Seyfried with the Tampere Philharmonic in 2012 and recently premiered a concerto by John Wineglass with the Pacific Symphony. Over the last few seasons, Kim was guest soloist with Lebanon Philharmonic and the Orchestra NOW, with repertoire ranging from Mozart and Haydn to Glass and Penderecki.

He plays the 1701 ex-Dushkin Stradivarius and a modern bow made by Korean bow maker Yongje Song on permanent loan from a generous donor.

Jonah Kim An artist of great charisma and originality, Kim’s beauty of tone is immediately distinguishable by its signature sweetness. Kim invites the listener in with “the cosy warmth of a well-loved cashmere sweater," (Gramophone) then “dives into the music with courage underpinned by formidable technical prowess, with which he achieves a dazzling performance.” (All About the Arts)

Kim made his solo debut with Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Philadelphia Orchestra at 12 years of age, and has since captured the hearts of audiences around the world. Beyond the stage, his recent recording of the Kodaly Solo Sonata is being praised for “[capturing] the very elusiveness that gives the music its substance” (Gramophone) and “flawless delivery of its Herculean technical demands… the sense of exhilaration in this performance has us on the edge of our seats. ” (The Strad).

Named artistic director of Festival San Miguel de Allende in 2023, Kim is known for his unique programming, in which creativity and wide-ranging taste are guided by beauty. The presentations have been compared to “the masques of Henry Purcell or the Gesamtkunstwerk operas of Richard Wagner” (San Luis Obispo Review).

In recent years, Kim has been artist-in-residence for a variety of prestigious and popular arts organizations including the iconic St. Ignatius Parish in San Francisco, the Fromme Institute at the University of San Francisco, designer Ken Fulk’s Saint Joseph’s Art Society, and violinist Scott Yoo’s highly regarded Festival Mozaic. Kim has frequently appeared on Yoo’s docu-series “Now Hear This” on PBS. Kim has also worked with Van Cliburn Competition winner Jon Nakamatsu, Chee-Yun Kim (you may recognize her from her cameo on the HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm) and leading members of world-class ensembles such as the Orpheus and New Century chamber orchestras, and the Guarneri, Juilliard and Tokyo Quartets.

Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kim taught himself cello watching VHS tapes of Pablo Casals. He was awarded full scholarship to The Juilliard School at seven. That year, Kim became pen pals with the famed Janos Starker who invited him to Bloomington. He would continue to travel to Indiana to study with Starker throughout his career at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he enrolled at eleven. He was the first Fellow to train with all of the instructors: Orlando Cole, David Soyer, Peter Wiley and Lynn Harrell. Kim defines a truly American school of cello by reconciling the Italian, German, Russian, Franco-Spanish and Hungarian lineages.

“One of the very finest American cellists, he brings out things that you possibly never realized were in [the music]. He has that indefinable “it”. (Art Music Lounge) Kim makes his home in San Francisco with his wife, the respected and beloved American ballerina, Julia Rowe.

This album contains no booklet.