REVIEWS
“… daring, lively, and completely engrossing.” —Seattle Times
“... exuded a real sense of command...” —The New York Times
”… careful attention to balance, tonal beauty, and teamwork ...” —Strad Magazine
“… unrelenting passion.” —The Birmingham News
“... the grace and intensity of the singing lines, the emotional intensity and truth of all the playing (yet without any breach of decorum or style) ...” —San Diego Reader
“… big, bold, direct and unself-conscious.” —Washington Post
“... played with authority and conviction ... remarkable ...” —Strings Magazine
“… passion, sweep, and energy.” —Ann Arbor News
"SAN JOSE CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY brought its 2011-2012 season to a glorious conclusion Friday, May 4, with the appearance of the Amelia Piano Trio . . . Crisp attacks and canny articulation characterized every measure of the Amelia’s performance, a sense of balanced ensemble in which we could plainly hear the sheer enjoyment each member’s contribution brings to the others . . . We noted, quite soon, the voluptuous quality of Mr. Duckles’ cello . . . Ms. Kreston’s violin, too, could soar most eloquently . . . The Finale: Presto enjoyed thoroughly plastic rhythms and an unbuttoned humor quite in keeping with Beethoven’s natural irreverence and confidence. —classicalmusicguide.com
"With the disbanding of the long-standing, pioneering Beaux Arts Piano Trio in 2008, it was heartening to hear a wonderful ensemble to be added to the roster of the well-established Eroica Trio and Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio . . .
Violinist Kreston said she followed up reports of Chopin’s alluding to replacing the violin part with a viola . . . Chopin wrote that he should have written the violin part for viola 'as the first string predominates in the violin and in my trio is used hardly at all. The viola would, I think, accord better with the cello.' Before Kreston joined the Amelia Trio, she played viola in a string quartet. Her ease with the viola has led her to take up Chopin’s suggestion. She speculated that the awkward scoring for the violin was responsible for the relative neglect of Op. 8. Another feature of her adaptation is the increased virtuosity of the part, using the viola’s higher strings . . . The Amelia Trio’s performance was a revelation." —Cultural Voice of North Carolina
BIOGRAPHY
Anthea Kreston, Violin Jason Duckles, Cello Ilya Yakushev, Piano
From 1999-2016, the Amelia Piano Trio was one of the most active and sought-after piano trios in the world. Mentored by Isaac Stern, who presented their Carnegie Hall début at Weill Recital Hall, the Trio won the ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and performed in nearly every major series and festival in the USA: Carnegie Hall's Stern and Zankel Halls; NYC's 92nd Street Y and Miller Theater; the Library of Congress and Dumbarton Concerts in Washington, D.C.; and the Caramoor, Ravinia, Aspen, Vail and La Jolla Music Festivals.
Formed in 1999, the Amelia Piano Trio participated in Isaac Stern’s Chamber Music Workshop at Carnegie Hall in 2000. Isaac Stern became a mentor to the Trio and presented the ensemble’s Carnegie Hall début at Weill Recital Hall. Joining the roster of Concert Artists Guild in 2001, the Trio went on to win the ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming and to record CDs with Cedille Records and Naxos. The Trio has performed in nearly every major series and festival in the USA, including the 92nd Street Y, Carnegie Hall's Stern and Zankel Halls, Ravinia in Chicago, Seattle’s Meany Hall, and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Other performances include appearances at the Caramoor Music Festival in New York, the La Jolla Chamber Music Society, NPR’s Saint Paul Sunday, Merkin Hall, and Bargemusic. As well, they performed prestigious venues across Canada and in Germany, France and the UK.
The Amelia members have quickly made their mark as performers and commissioners of new music. Notably, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Harbison wrote his first full-length piano trio for the Amelia, a recording of which was released on the Naxos label. The Trio’s most recent commissioning project is a new Triple Concerto, Orpheus and Eurydice, composed by Daron Hagen.
In 2016, the trio took a hiatus so violinist Anthea Kreston could accept an invitation to join Germany’s renowned Artemis String Quartet—the first time an American had ever held a full-time position in a professional German quartet. With 2026 being the 10th anniversary of that change, the trio felt it would be a meaningful moment to return to the concert stage. Anthea and Jason asked the celebrated pianist Ilya Yakushev to join them, and the Amelia Piano Trio is thrilled to set off with renewed passion and purpose!