BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Z.E.N. Trio is an international ensemble in the truest sense of the term: its pianist Zhang Zuo (Zee Zee) is based in Germany and Hong Kong, violinist Esther Yoo in South Korea and the United States, and cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan in Armenia. Rare is the opportunity for these players to meet and rehearse in the same country. Yet when asked what holds them together despite the distances, their answer is surprisingly simple: “Love.”
Zee Zee’s statement speaks not only to their passion for chamber music, but the way their work is bound by friendship. In coming together for their Musica Viva Australia tour this August, Z.E.N. defies the boundaries of time and location – navigating online communication, infrequent rehearsals, and pandemic restrictions – to honour the role of music in their professional and personal lives.
“Regardless of how little or how much time has elapsed in between our meetings, we are always able to pick up right where we left off,” Esther shares. “It is quite easy for us to talk for hours, so we have to keep track of time – especially in rehearsals!”
While the musicians can catch up in the digital world, they restrict their rehearsals to the physical – and this means that when they finally come together, they make the most of it. Zee Zee (pictured above) confesses the trio will carve out time to visit restaurants, go shopping, and watch movies together. They also make a special effort to attend each other’s solo concerts; each member of Z.E.N. is a virtuosic player in their own right.
Their way of life – supporting solo success while valuing togetherness – is reflected in the trio’s name. Z.E.N. is an acronym formed with an initial from each artist, and a philosophical statement about their performance style.
“In all aspects, chamber music is a time for us to put our own egos aside, listen to each other, and always put the music first,” Esther (pictured below) says. “This idea is essential in chamber music – both in the manner of approaching chamber music but also in the more practical ways of communication and teamwork.”
Such sincerity may be one reason behind the trio’s popularity. It’s a global success story that’s woven into their Musica Viva program: the players will perform music by Brahms, Babajanian, and Dvořák,much of which they have recorded with Deutsche Grammophon.
“Each piece holds a special place in our hearts, and brings back memories of touring and recording,” Esther says.
The Brahms trio (Program 1) was the first piece they performed when they met through the BBC New Generation Artist scheme. The Babajanian trio (Program 2) is an Armenian work that Narek brought to the ensemble.
“We were immediately blown away by the brilliance and beauty of this work, and we are always happy to introduce this piece to audiences around the world,” Esther says of the Babajanian.
The tour also paves the way for another big achievement: it will be the first time Z.E.N. has premiered a piece of contemporary chamber music.
Little Cataclysms was composed by Musica Viva FutureMaker Matt Laing (made possible through a commission from Musica Viva Australia, Graham Lovelock, and Steven Singer). Zee Zee says the new music delivers high-impact “drama, intimacy, and emotions”.
“I’m grateful to have this opportunity to explore new ways of learning and expressing music. It has been challenging but rewarding!” Zee Zee says.
It might be cheeky to suggest the challenge was intentional – but the composer does acknowledge one thing: he didn’t go easy on the players. And that’s because he knew what they would be capable of.
“I felt I had great freedom to write whatever came to mind. It’s made the piece quite demanding – but I know they’ll do a great job of it!” Matt says. The result is a collection of five small pieces that capture the grand scale of traditional piano trio repertoire.
“I like to think the piece plays to that Romantic aesthetic the Z.E.N.s do so well, but with a more contemporary harmonic language,” the composer explains.
Matt (pictured above) develops his musical voice through the prestigious FutureMaker program, which has nurtured many early career artists, from pianist Aura Go to chamber ensemble Arcadia Winds among others. Matt – who also performs freelance viola with Australia’s top ensembles and orchestras – says the commissioning of local music is “absolutely critical to the continuation of our art form”.
“It acts as a reflection of our time, and contextualises more traditional repertoire,” he says. “Trusting in composers and creatives with new ideas and concepts opens us up to new possibilities around what a work might be, which I think is really exciting…That Musica Viva is so mobile and has a uniquely national profile makes it the perfect organisation to lead in this space.”
Esther too finds an “exhilarating sense of freedom” in working with music we are all yet to hear.
“Matt has been very supportive and open to discussions with us,” she says of the collaboration. “We have all been enthusiastic about working with each other since the idea of incorporating a new commission piece into the tour was first brought up.”
Esther, Zee Zee, and Narek (pictured below) have crossed many borders to perform this music on Australian stages – and it will be the first time the friends have come together since 2019, when the pandemic began to take hold.
“It will be a very significant moment for us,” Esther says. “We are so excited to be a part of Musica Viva’s program, and grateful for the opportunity to tour all across Australia.”
Z.E.N. Trio will perform across Australia from 10-23 August, with a livestream on the final date. For full details about this Musica Viva Australia tour, visit the website.
We collaborated with Musica Viva Australia to bring you this interview, which will feature in the Z.E.N. Trio tour program. Stay tuned for more interviews shining the spotlight on musicians and composers!
Images supplied. Narek Haknazaryan captured by Marco Borggreve.
