NZTrio Announce The Release Of A Superb New Album ‘Merge’

Featuring superb compositions by Christos Hatzis, Salina Fisher, Josef Suk and Erich Korngold, Merge is an amalgamation of our individual musical personalities both on and off the stage, expressed through our shared love of chamber music. We feel very lucky to be sharing our joyful, creative and collaborative experience of recording this album with you during this particularly bewildering time.

As we navigate this ever-changing world, constantly looking to the future and the past, we hope this music gives you a chance to appreciate some beauty in the present moment.

In early 2020, the world was struck by the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, NZTrio began its new era with the appointment of Somi Kim and Amalia Hall joining Ashley Brown in continuing the 19-year legacy of commissioning new works from NZ composers, bringing lesser-known works to light, and celebrating the widely-known jewels of the piano trio repertoire with fresh interpretation.

As we reflect on these tumultuous and extraordinary times, this album represents our personal beacon of hope and light amid the challenging lockdowns, symbolising our efforts to cope with uncertainty and the unknown.

The works we have chosen convey a wide array of human emotions and experiences: Old Photographs by Christos Hatzis offers a moment to stop, reflect on the past and move onto something new; Kintsugi by Salina Fisher celebrates imperfection, of transforming something broken into something stronger and more beautiful; Elegie, Op. 23 by Josef Suk is haunted by intrusions of pain and loss but woven with acceptance and transcendence; and finally, Erich Korngold’s Piano Trio in D major, Op. 1 is full of fireworks, youthful vitality, and hope for what the future holds.

Merge now available on CD, digital download, and all online platforms.