In our little old auditorium something spectacular was displayed on Feb. 17. Three sisters, under the name the Albers Trio, performed a list of prestigious musical selections in front of a mid-size crowd in McInnis Auditorium. The sisters played skillful pieces written by artists including Ludwig van Beethoven, Bohuslav Martin, Franz Schubert, Ernst von Dohnányi and Mark O’Connor.
The Albers Trio, consisting of violinist, Laura; violist, Rebecca; and cellist, Julie, have been playing since they were two years old. They have performed at venues the likes of Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, National Theatre in Taipei and Severance Hall in Cleveland. Not only did the trio perform breathtaking pieces for the audience in McInnis, they have also performed with famous artists such as Mark O’Connor and Yo-Yo Ma, to name a few.
“Throughout the entire performance I was impressed by how they played as one musician,” sophomore music major Josh Stauffer said.
The performance was sponsored by Tri-County Concerts as part of their “Emerging Artists Series.” Tri-County Concerts, located in Wayne, has hosted its concert series at Eastern since 1999. The association describes its chosen artists as talented young people who they predict will become premier names on the music scene in the near future.
Piano teacher Jim Correnti, has attended Tri-County Concert events at Eastern since they began hosting them in McInnis. “They’re always very good,” Correnti said about the emerging artists that play at Eastern. “You’re hearing people at absolute national class.” Correnti commented that spectators are paying a mere fraction of the cost to see these artists play at Eastern when you consider the places they will be performing in the future.
Area residents Tim and Diane Aureden were among those on hand to enjoy the performance. “It was excellent,” Diane said. “They ought to be playing all over.”
If you missed out on the Albers Trio, you still have the chance to catch two more performances hosted by Tri-County Concerts at Eastern this year. On March 16, nationally-renowned guitar player Robert Gruca will be playing in McInnis Auditorium, and on April 27, eighteen-year-old piano phenomenon Charlie Albright will be performing. Both concerts begin at 2:30 p.m. and admission is free to Eastern students.
For more information visit www.tricountyconcerts.org.