Trio Michelangeli Welcomes VC Young Artist Luke Hsu

Luke Hsu will succeed violinist Paolo Tagliamento in the piano trio

Cellist Alessandra Doninelli and pianist Riccardo Gagliardi of the Trio Michelangeli announced on social media that founding violinist Paolo Tagliamento will step down and Luke Hsu will take on the role.

The third prize winner at this year's Osaka International Chamber Music Competition, the trio was founded in Munich and named after the extraordinary pianist Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.

With upcoming performances at the Klassik Summer Festival and the Piano Salon Christophori, they have recently performed at the Villa Rospigliosi, Museo Archeologico, and the "Chamberfest" of the Grosser Saal HMTM München.

Born in Shanghai and raised in Houston, Luke Hsu was a laureate of the 2019 Queen Elisabeth Competition and has also won prizes at the Nielsen, Wieniawski, Michael Hill, Indianapolis, and Paganini competitions.

As a soloist, Hsu has appeared at Wigmore Hall, Windsor Castle, Kennedy Center, Herkulessaal, Philharmonie Berlin, and BOZAR, among others. He has performed with numerous orchestras, most recently with the Sinfonieorchester Basel, Sudeten Philharmonic, Belgian National Orchestra, and the Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia.

As a chamber musician, he has collaborated with luminaries such as Itamar Golan, Cho-Liang Lin, Gil Shaham, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Peter Frankl, and Colin Carr. His festival appearances include Verbier, La Jolla SummerFest, Wieniawski, Music@Menlo, and Yellow Barn. Luke is also regularly invited to Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music.

“The instant we started working together, there was a clear, natural rapport between the three of us," Hsu said. "This translated incredibly well on the concert stage, which resulted in highly enthusiastic receptions from our audiences. At that point, I knew that this was the right group to explore the trio repertoire together. I am so thrilled to have this trio as an enriching part of my musical life. I cannot wait to be a part of this group that embraces musical openness, curiosity, and excellence wholeheartedly.”

"We are excited to start a new chapter together and we can’t wait to share music with Luke," the trio writes. "We would also like to thank Paolo for his work and dedication in the past year, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours."