Trio Afiori Premieres at Chamber Music Northwest
The performance is on Saturday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m.
By: Stephi Wild Oct. 22, 2025
Chamber Music Northwest will present the West Coast Premiere of the newly-created Trio Afiori that consists of Avery Fisher Prize-winning clarinetist Anthony McGill, Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron, and CMNW Artistic Director pianist Gloria Chien. The second concert of CMNW's 2025/26 Year-Round Season will be held at Portland State University's Lincoln Performance Hall on Saturday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Trio Afiori will perform Kian Ravaei's new arrangement of Brahms's Zwei Gesänge (Two Songs), Brahms's Clarinet Sonata No. 2 in E-flat Major, and three CMNW-commissioned works. Alex Ho's Moon Allegory (2025) and Valerie Coleman's Angels (2025)—commissioned by Chamber Music Northwest, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, with the generous support of the CMNW Commissioning Fund—were both written for this specific trio of musicians and are being performed for the first time on the West Coast for this concert. The evening concludes with Kian Ravaei's 2023 CMNW Commissioning Club-commissioned piece, Gulistan.
Returning to CMNW this fall are three of classical music's most brilliant musicians: the exceptional clarinetist and Avery Fisher Prize-winner Anthony McGill, Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron, and our own Artistic Director, pianist Gloria Chien! Their new Trio Afiori will present one of our most unique programs yet, as these three illuminating musical minds join forces with repertoire specially arranged for the triple-threat of mezzo-soprano, clarinet, and piano. Come for an evening of stunning music by Brahms, Kian Ravaei's mesmerizing Gulistan—a 2023 CMNW commission—and two brand-new works commissioned by CMNW for this outstanding trio: Moon Allegory by Alex Ho and Angels by Valerie Coleman.
From Artistic Directors Gloria Chien and Soovin Kim: “We are so happy to present Gloria's newly formed Trio Afiori with two powerhouses of the music world: New York Philharmonic Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill and Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron. Our program celebrates the various cultural heritages of our unique ensemble through classics and newer storytelling works. We cannot wait to share this creative adventure with our CMNW family!”
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Best Musical - Top 3
1.
WAITRESS (Broadway Rose Theatre)
7.9% of votes
2.
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6.5% of votes
3.
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6.4% of votes
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