West Garden Piano Trio May 1, 2010

Downtown Piano Works is pleased to welcome the West Garden Trio to our Fine Artist Concert Series, for an evening of works by Bernstein, Copeland and Ives. As always, there is no charge for admission but space is limited to 65. Please RSVP (301) 631-1234 to guarantee a seat for this performance.

The West Garden Piano Trio was formed in early 2008 as the resident piano trio at the National Gallery of Art. Coming from diverse backgrounds, the three musicians with a passion for playing chamber music that appeals to a wide audience are known for their interesting and diverse programming. They have performed to full houses at the National Gallery of Art in addition to embassy and other DC area venues.

Violinist Luke Wedge received a master of music degree in violin performance from Northwestern University and a bachelor of music degree in English literature from the University of Kansas. His principal instructors included David Perry, Gerardo Ribeiro, and Ben Sayevich. Wedge has made solo and recital appearances in Chicago, Illinois; Lawrence, Kansas; and Washington, DC. He is an experienced orchestral musician and has been engaged by the National Gallery of Art Orchestra, the National Symphony, and the Ravinia Festival, among others. A member of the United States Air Force Strings, he has been since 2003 a member of the Covington String Quartet, which was the quartet-in-residence at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania from 2003–2006.

Cellist Benjamin R. Wensel holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Eastman School of Music. He has performed in seminars and master classes for members of the Cleveland, Guarneri, Juilliard, Miami, and Ying quartets; studied chamber music with Peter Salaff and members of the Audubon and Cavani Quartets; and participated in solo master classes with Clemens Michael Hagen, Steven Isserlis, and Michel Strauss. He is currently a member of the Army Strings. Wensel has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Syracuse Symphony as well as with many fine local ensembles. A founding member of the Tarab Cello Ensemble, Wensel performed in the premieres of more than twenty new works written by established and emerging American composers, and participated in the ensemble’s residencies at Princeton University, Stetson University, and the University of South Florida. He taught chamber music and maintained a studio at the Hochstein School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he was the cellist of the Hochstein String Quartet. Currently a member of the faculty at the Washington Conservatory, Wensel maintains a private studio in Arlington, Virginia, and plays with the newly formed Messaien Quartet as well as the National Gallery of Art Piano Trio. He can be heard on recordings produced by the Bridge, Harmonia Mundi, and Summit record labels.

Brussels-born pianist Danielle DeSwert Hahn is a freelance collaborative pianist and coach and the music program specialist at the National Gallery of Art. She has worked as a pianist and coach with the Ash Lawn Highland Opera Festival, Chautauqua Opera, Indianapolis Opera, Kentucky Opera, the New Orleans Opera Association, Portland (Oregon) Opera, the San Francisco Opera Center, Sarasota Opera, and the Washington National Opera. From 2004–2006 she was the principal repetiteur with the Baltimore Opera Company and Washington Concert Opera. She performs regularly in chamber music and voice recitals, including performances at the Arts Club of Washington, the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington, the Kennedy Center, the Mexican Institute of Culture, the National Gallery, the Russian Embassy, and the White House. She is principal pianist with the Inscape Chamber Music Project. She holds a master of music degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she studied with Martin Katz, and a bachelor of music degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She also studiedwith Warren Jones and Anne Epperson at the Music Academy of the West and was an apprentice coach with the Washington Opera, working with Placido Domingo.

Official Website: http://www.downtownpianoworks.com