Denison University's popular Vail Series continues with a performance by the Prague Chamber Orchestra and the Eroica Trio at 8 p.m., Friday (Nov. 7) in Swasey Chapel. Prokofiev's Classical Symphony and the Beethoven 'Triple' Concerto will highlight the program.

A limited number of tickets for the performance may be available for the public for $15 each. For information on ticket availability, call the Vail Hotline at (740) 587-6557.

The Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio will serve as soloists for the Prague Chamber Orchestra in the concert. Whether playing the great standards of the piano trio repertoire or daring contemporary works, the three young women who make up this chamber ensemble electrify the concert stage with their technical virtuosity, vivid artistic interpretation, and contagious exuberance in performance.

The Trio won the prestigious 1991 Naumberg Award, resulting in an acclaimed Lincoln Center debut and has since toured the United States, Europe, and Asia. Along with maintaining a demanding concert schedule, the Eroica Trio has released five recordings for Angel/EMI Classic Records, garnering multiple Grammy nominations.

They perform the Beethoven Triple Concerto more frequently than any other trio in the world, having appeared with the symphonies of Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco, Utah, and Mostly Mozart Orchestra. The Trio's sixth EMI recording -- Beethoven Triple Concerto with Prague Chamber Orchestra -- has been released this month.

One of the first all-female chamber ensembles to reach the top echelons of its field, the Trio is helping to break the age-old gender barriers in classical music. Pianist Erika Nickrenz, who made her concerto debut at age 11, was a featured soloist on the PBS seriesLive from Lincoln Center. Violinist Adela Pena garnered first prize at the Washington International competition and has toured extensively as a soloist in the United States, Europe and South America. Cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio's international successes include winning a medal at the prestigious International Tchaikovsky Violin/Cello Competition in Moscow, resulting in tours across North America, Europe and the Middle East, culminating in a recital at Carnegie Hall which was broadcast on national television.

The Prague Chamber Orchestra, currently touring North America for the 14th time, is an ensemble of 36 musicians, and has been described by a critic as a group in which "each musician is a maestro." The Orchestra holds a leading place among the orchestras of the Czech Republic, dating back to 1951 when players of the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra in Prague came together to found a smaller orchestra suitable for performing works of Bohemian composers of the classical period.

The group plays without conductor, sustained instead by the superb musicianship of each player, and is renowned for its exquisite precision, intonation, and balance. Their repertoire ranges from baroque to the 20th century and often includes Czech composers such as the Benda family, Michna, Dvorak, and Janacek. Their music is based first and foremost on the major classical works of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, while also incorporating the baroque works of Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi and the romantic works by Schubert and Mendelssohn.

For more information about Denison's Vail Series and the 2003-04 season, visit Vail Series

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

For press inquiries:

Name

Barbara Stambaugh

Position Title

Director, Media Relations

Primary Email

stambaughb@denison.edu

Business Phone

(740) 587-8575