Music on Norway Pond will host the Boston-based Oak Trio, comprised of cellist Leland Ko, violinist Geneva Lewis, and pianist Evren Ozel on Sunday, Feb. 22 at the First Congregational Church of Hancock.
Cellist Leland Ko says the trio is “greater than the sum of its parts.”
“That was our vision. We all have different styles, but they’ve been shaped by similar forces. We’ve had similar mentors, and we have the same values of listening and understanding what makes a piece come to life, so we have that style in common,” Ko said. “The whole idea behind the Oak Trio is that the three of us were unique individual personalities coming together to create something greater.”
Lewis is filling in for founding violinist Nathan Amaral, who has been unable to return to the United States due to immigration issues.
“Nathan, our founding violinist, is Brazilian and lives in the UK. He’s having some visa issues. Fortunately, we have the honor of working with Geneva, who is also a great friend of ours. We’ve all been at school together since 2016,” Ko said. “I’ve known Geneva since 2018, but I’ve never gotten the chance to play with her. It’s a unique opportunity for the three of us to play together.”
The Norway Pond Concert Series features young and upcoming performers from the New England Conservatory of Music. Ozel and Ko have both performed previously with the series.
Ko said the three founders were initially connected by their manager.
“We were all at NEC, and the three of us all had the same manager. We were all performing solo, but our manager encouraged us to play together to see if we would hit it off, and we did,” Ko said.
The name “Oak” comes from the last names of the three founders, Ozel, Amaral, and Ko. Ko says they will have to see what happens with the new iteration, as Amaral, who was recently married, may be settling in the UK.
Ko says that he, Lewis and Ozel create another powerful dynamic.
“Evren is one of the nicest guys I have ever been around — any time I spend with him, whether it’s sitting in a car, traveling, going out to eat, it’s just a joy. As a pianist, he is the master of all the elements — sound, time, and space. It’s all in his grasp, and it’s mesmerizing to listen to him,” Ko said.
Ko says Lewis creates sound “that comes from another world.”
“With Geneva, everything she touches turns to gold. There is this magical shimmer to her sound,” he said. “She has this athlete’s level of coordination and ability, and she has so much brain space, she is just amazing.”
Ko says his own superpower is asking why.
“I’m a very restless person. I always want to know the reason for doing something. We all kind of converge from different corners,” he said.
At Sunday’s concert, the trio will be playing three very different pieces, a reflection of the three powerful personalities and styles in the group.
“Each piece is very vibrant; they each capture a different kind of human spirit,” Ko said.
The first piece to be performed is a Hungarian-style folk concerto by Haydn.
“Haydn’s music has so much humor, so much joy — it’s that realm of feeling, from his earliest work, which was deeply inspired by traditional music,” Ko said.
The second piece, a set of six Slavic folk laments by Dvorak, is the heart of the program, Ko said.
“Dvorak was Bohemian, and that piece is more soulful, more lamenting, there is grief, there is nostalgia–things you might imagine Slavic poetry might be about,” he said.
The final piece is a more contemporary composition, “Cafe Music,” by classical composer Paul Schoenfield.
“This piece was written in Minnesota, and it’s kind of classical music’s foray into jazz or ragtime. It’s a blend of styles. It gets you up on your feet and ready to dance. It’s a wild ride,” Ko said. “They’re all very vibrant in different ways.
For tickets or information, go to musiconnorwaypond.org.