Friends of Chamber Music presents the McGill-McHale TRIO

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Virtual Concert and Exclusive FCM’s Interview with the TRIO

Premiere: Friday, January 15, 7 p.m.

View On-Demand: through Sunday, January 17

Friends of Chamber Music presents the renowned McGill-McHale TRIO, one of the most recognizable ensembles in classical music today. The McGill brothers, flutist Demarre McGill and clarinetist Anthony McGill, and Irish pianist Michael McHale perform music by Antonin Dvořák, Claude Debussy, Francis Poulenc, and contemporaries Chris Rogerson (b. 1988), Guillaume Connesson (b. 1970), and Paul Schoenfield (b. 1947).

The McGill-McHale TRIO was founded in September 2014 when clarinetist Anthony McGill and his brother, flutist Demarre McGill, were featured artists in a residency at Bowling Green University in Ohio. Pianist Michael McHale joined them in concert for the first time during that residency, and it was immediately clear that the Trio had a great future in store. Since then, they've released an album on Cedille Records, collaborated with Oscar-winning actor Mahershala Ali, and given concerts in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Tulsa, among other cities.

Clarinetist Anthony McGill is one of classical music’s most multifaceted figures. He serves as the principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic — the first African-American principal player of that orchestra — and maintains a dynamic international solo and chamber music career. Hailed for his “trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character” (The New York Times), Anthony McGill is an ardent advocate for helping music education reach underserved communities and for addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in classical music. He was honored to take part in the inauguration of President Obama, performing alongside violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and pianist Gabriela Montero. Anthony McGill is also the recipient of the Avery Fisher Prize (2020).

“Coming to the Philharmonic after a decade as a principal with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Mr. [Anthony] McGill played with his trademark brilliance, penetrating sound and rich character,” says Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times. “That the ovation was so enthusiastic was no surprise.”

Flutist Demarre McGill is recognized internationally as a soloist, recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician, as well as an educator, and has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Chicago, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Grant Park, San Diego and Baltimore symphonies. Now principal flute of the Seattle Symphony, he previously served as principal flute of the Dallas, San Diego, Florida, and Santa Fe Opera orchestras and as acting principal flute of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony. Demarre McGill is Associate Professor of Flute at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and an artist-faculty member at the Aspen Music Festival.

Pianist Michael McHale was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and now resides in London, England. Following studies at the University of Cambridge and Royal Academy of Music, Michael McHale has gone on to become one of Ireland’s leading concert pianists. He has performed with many major orchestras including the Minnesota and Hallé orchestras, and the Moscow, Bournemouth, BBC, BBC Scottish, Jacksonville, and London symphonies. In addition to solo recitals and festival appearances, he collaborates with Sir James Galway, Michael Collins, Dame Felicity Lott, and Camerata Pacifica, among others, and his extensive discography encompasses over 25 solo and chamber music albums.

“McHale played with cool authority and understated panache as one expected from a young pianist whose international career is in serious take-off mode,” says Dick O’Riordan, Sunday Business Post.

The McGill-McHale TRIO virtual concert and the Friends of Chamber Music’s exclusive interview with the TRIO will premiere on Friday, January 15th, at 7 p.m. and will be available to view on-demand through Sunday, January 17th.

To reserve FREE access to the McGill-McHale TRIO virtual event, registration should be made at the Friends of Chamber Music’s website, fcmtx.org, through the McGill-McHale TRIO Reservation Form: fcmtx.org/event-details/mcgill-mchale-trio/form.

Questions? Email info@fcmtx.org.