The Claremont Trio members are (left to right) Emily Bruskin, violin; Donna Kwong, piano; and Julia Bruskin, cello. (Photo by Christian Steiner)

All young musicians eagerly await the day when they will share the stage with their teachers, performing together as equals. For the Claremont Trio, that day will be October 29, when they join forces with Juilliard faculty members Toby Appel (viola) and Naoko Tanaka (violin) at the 11th annual Irene Diamond Concert in Alice Tully Hall.

The Claremont Trio, comprised of twin sisters and current Juilliard master's students Emily and Julia Bruskin (violin and cello) and alumna pianist Donna Kwong (B.M. 2000, M.M. 2001), will perform Paul Schoenfield's Café Music. They will be joined by Appel for the Brahms Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 60, and also by Naoko Tanaka to present the Shostakovich Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57.

The concert pays tribute to philanthropist and social activist Irene Diamond, who is among Juilliard's most generous supporters. Most recently, Diamond provided a leadership gift to the Campaign for Juilliard, which will provide substantial support for graduate scholarships.

"The Irene Diamond Concert is a celebration of music at Juilliard. It has always been an opportunity for students and faculty to collaborate. It's [exciting to] take a relationship which started as student and teacher and then see what it's like to work together as colleagues," Julia Bruskin said.

It is fitting that the Claremont Trio will perform with Tanaka and Appel for the concert. Tanaka was Emily Bruskin's violin teacher from 1999-2001, while Bruskin was in the joint Columbia-Juilliard program. "As a teacher and as a person, Ms. Tanaka is insightful, generous, supportive, and wise. I feel so honored to have the opportunity to play with her," Bruskin said.

Toby Appel. (Photo by Lisa Crosby)

Appel's many links to the trio are almost portentous. Although he coached the trio during their second year together, he originally coached Kwong in various other ensembles while she was earning her bachelor's degree at Juilliard. Appel became acquainted with Emily Bruskin when she studied Mozart's Duos for Violin and Viola with one of his students.

Emily introduced Appel to Julia, and both Bruskin sisters taught for a weekend at a festival for amateur musicians organized by Appel's father. "Julia and Emily, along with several other wonderful Juilliard students, played with and helped coach the adult amateurs. It was fun being with them, and they were enthusiastic and great with the amateurs," Appel said.

The trio's year of coaching with Appel was an inspiration. Emily Bruskin described Appel as "very daring and creative. [He is] one of the most imaginative players I know. He does crazy things but they're great."

Julia Bruskin added, "A coach is someone who's had more experience developing an interpretation and can suggest other musical possibilities. Toby Appel is someone who gives a very honest appraisal of what he hears and how he reacts to it. He doesn't have an agenda."

Describing the trio's music development over the years, Appel said: "The three of them have grown immeasurably as individual players and as an ensemble. Both Julia and Emily have found wonderful instruments, which have also helped them to add new palettes of color to their playing. Donna's playing has always been big, powerful, and terrific. All of them were wonderful players when we first met. They've just gotten older, better, and more experienced."

Naoko Tanaka. (Photo by Robert Biddlecome)

Despite the mutual admiration between the Claremont Trio, Appel, and Tanaka, is it truly possible for students to rehearse and perform as equals with established artists? Or does the age differential affect the dynamic of the group?

According to Appel, some supposedly egalitarian chamber groups are anything but. "I spent three summers at Marlboro [where] younger players and older, supposedly more experienced players play together. There is never any mention that the older players will be acting as 'coach' in any particular ensemble, but it was pretty clear who was running the group. Everyone was equal, but some were more equal than others."

Appel emphasized that the Irene Diamond Concert will truly be an equal collaboration. "I'm not coaching the group. Besides, Julia, Emily, and Donna are not going to keep their mouths shut. They are not kids; they are forces to be reckoned with," Appel said.

According to Julia Bruskin, the chance for an ensemble to work with other musicians is extremely rewarding. "Sometimes the three of us get used to the way we react to each other, and we fall into patterns. The opportunity to work with guest artists shakes things up a bit. The rehearsal process will be as exciting for us as the performance. I'm very curious to see how these musicians whom we respect so much will rehearse."

The concert's unique program is striking for its combination of such different styles. Brahms' stormy piano quartet and Shostakovich's neo-classical piano quintet are presented along with Schoenfield's increasingly popular Café Music. The Claremont Trio has a close connection to the Schoenfield work, having met and played for the composer at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival.

The Irene Diamond Concert Alice Tully Hall, October 29, 8 p.m. Free tickets will be available at the Juilliard box office starting October 15.

Describing Schoenfield, Julia Bruskin said, "As a person, he's very introverted, [but] his music is very outgoing and incorporates many styles—jazz, blues, [and] klezmer. It's very energetic and flashy." Despite its popular influences, Café Music is a formidable work, and its three movements exceedingly challenging to play. Although some sections may sound improvisatory, the entire work is composed out. "If all goes according to plan, we won't be improvising," Emily Bruskin said.

Since winning first prize in the 2001 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, the Claremont Trio has toured throughout the country and has been featured in such venues as the 92nd Street Y. On December 4, the trio will make its Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Hall. The trio has also performed abroad, participating last summer in concerts in Slovenia, Serbia, and Bosnia as part of an exchange sponsored by the U.S. State Department and Carnegie Hall. In addition to its performance credits, the Claremont Trio is also heavily involved with educational outreach.