Vesper Piano Trio

The Vesper Piano Trio brings together three musicians who have built their musical relationships and friendships with each other over the course of decades. Violinist Caitlin Kelley, cellist Emily Hu, and pianist Thomas Lee are among the most in-demand classical musicians in the Seattle area, maintaining diverse performance careers as recitalists, soloists, chamber musicians, symphonic players, and pedagogues. Their individual careers include frequent appearances with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and The 5th Avenue Theater, along with performances in venues including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Join the Vesper Piano Trio for an evening of intimate chamber music spanning over two centuries! The program will include Joseph Haydn's charming and playful Piano Trio in A flat, the world premiere of "Presence" by New York-based composer Joseph N. Rubinstein, Jennifer Higdon's Piano Trio, which explores the relationship between sound and color, and Felix Mendelssohn's passionate and triumphant masterpiece, the Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor.

(Scroll all the way down to preview the program.)

*This concert is a ticketed event and will begin promptly at 5pm and last until roughly 7pm, with a short intermission. Please plan to arrive at least 15-20 minutes early for check in, seating and refreshments.

**Please purchase tickets in advance or have exact cash at the door(if NOT sold out). Be aware concerts can and often do sell out.

***No children under 6 years old. Ages 6-12 are free. Please notify us if you will be bringing children without tickets so we can reserve seats for them, otherwise there might not be enough seating for everyone. We ask that you use your best judgment to bring children to ensure everyone enjoys the performance.

Seattle-born cellist Emily Hu is the latest addition to the Pacific Northwest Ballet Orchestra, where she serves as Assistant Principal Cello after joining the orchestra in 2026. Her career as an orchestral cellist, chamber musician, and recitalist includes performing regularly with the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, and the 5th Avenue Theater, as well as with rising Northwest favorites the Vesper Piano Trio and Jigsaw Chamber Ensemble. She is a former member of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra and has appeared at the Oregon Bach Festival and the Bellingham Festival of Music, along with many other ensembles throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the country. Emily is happiest as a chamber musician and has collaborated in recital with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Lynn Harrell, and Alban Gerhardt. She holds a Bachelor of Music from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she studied with Norman Fischer, and a Master's degree from Northwestern University, where she was a student of Hans Jorgen Jensen.

Caitlin Kelley enjoys a diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, orchestral player, and teaching artist. She is the founder and artistic director of the Cannon Beach Music Festival, a member of the Grammy-nominated modern music collective Wild Up, and a frequent performer with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera. Caitlin has appeared as a soloist and concertmaster across the country, and has received awards in numerous competitions. Most recently, she was a winner of the 2022 LMC Frances Walton Competition and a finalist in the 2023 George Gershwin International Music Competition in New York, where she received the prize for best performance of an American work. Caitlin has appeared many times on Classical KING FM in Seattle, and has also been featured on KUOW, KOMO TV, and NPR. A native of Seattle, WA, Caitlin received a Bachelor of Music degree and Professional Studies Certificate from the Colburn School in Los Angeles, and a Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School in New York.

Born in Hong Kong and raised in the Pacific Northwest, pianist Thomas Lee enjoys a career as a devoted performer and teacher of his instrument. As both a solo and collaborative pianist, he has performed extensively around the region and on KingFM radio, as well as throughout the United States and abroad. Notable engagements include solo performances at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, as well as concerto performances with the UW Symphony Orchestra and the Kostroma Symphony in Kostroma, Russia. Tom has claimed top prizes at the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Competition, Buono & Bradshaw International Piano Competition, American Fine Arts Festival Concerto Competition, Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Piano Competition, and the Frances Walton Competition. Tom has studied under the tutelage of Craig Sheppard, Andre Watts, Jon Kimura Parker, and Tatiana Lanford, and holds degrees from Rice University, Indiana University, and the University of Washington. As a committed educator, Tom has adjudicated and lectured throughout the region, and serves on the board of directors of the Seattle Music Teachers Association. Tom enjoys spending his spare time as an avid weightlifter, devoted cat-dad, and an enthusiastic cooking dilettante.

Program:

VESPER PIANO TRIO

Works by Haydn, Rubinstein, Higdon, & Mendelssohn

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Piano Trio in A flat, H.XV No. 14 (1790)

I. Allegro moderato

II. Adagio

III. Rondo (Vivace)

Joseph N. Rubinstein (1986-)

Presence (World Premiere)

Jennifer Higdon (1962 -)

Piano Trio (2003)

I. Pale Yellow

II. Fiery Red

-Intermission-

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 49 (1839)

I. Molto allegro e agitato

II. Andante con moto tranquillo

III. Scherzo: Leggiero e vivace

IV. Finale: Allegro assai appassionato

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Sue & Ron, Owners of Fountainhead Gallery