The Poulenc Trio brings together three uniquely gifted virtuosos, oboist Vladimir Lande, bassoonist Bryan Young, and pianist Irina Lande. Combining brilliant 21st-century vibrancy with the best of European instrumental tradition, the trio’s performances leap beyond the ordinary concert experience, transporting audiences into a world of beautiful sonorities, playful rhythms and dramatic excitement. The ensemble’s precision and versatility heighten the lyricism of Poulenc, the virtuosity of Rossini, the wit of Jean Francaix and the jazzy elegance of André Previn. As the best of a select few professional wind trios, the Poulenc Trio is committed to expanding the repertoire through the discovery of old masterpieces and new works.
The trio's successful 2004-05 season included a featured appearance at the White Nights Festival in Russia. The group traveled and performed with Grammy award-winning violinist, Hilary Hahn. The repertoire for the program included two world premiere works, written specifically for The Poulenc Trio with Hilary Hahn. Their concert in the historic Hermitage Theater was recorded by television and radio crews from all of the country’s major news networks. St. Petersburg Television News covered the tour extensively and called the group "virtuosos of classical and contemporary music [whose] performance was a true wonder." Other season highlights included an appearance at the Kennedy Center in Washington.
The trio is in the midst of an exciting 2005-2006 season, which includes appearances on Washington's Embassy Concert Series, performances at the Zimmerli Museum at Rutgers University, the music at Cole Mansion in San Francisco and concert tours of the St. Croix,Virgin Islands and California. This summer, the Trio will tour in Italy, performing at the famous Ravello Festival and Festival delle Ville Vesuviane.
Also for this season, The Poulenc Trio has been invited as Artists-in-Residence with the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore to create a new chamber music series, Music at the Walters with the Poulenc Trio. In this unique collaboration, the trio will perform and invite guest artists and speakers to explore the connection between art and music.
Pianist, Irina Lande, is a graduate of the St. Petersburg Conservatory in Russia. Winner of the Baltimore Chamber Music Award and the Montpelier Recital Competition, Irina has appeared in series, including the Yale Gordon Concert Series, the Bachanalia Recital Series and the New York Times Young Performers Series. Concerts in Russia, Italy, England, Germany and the Caribbean have led to critical praise of her "beauty and brilliance of sound, astonishing flexibility and penetrating interpretation." Fanfare Magazine hails her as "a strong pianist who doesn't settle for an accompanying role." Irina is a member of the piano faculty at the Peabody Institiute.
Recently praised for his "particularly beautiful playing, technical agility and understated elegance" by the Baltimore Sun, Bryan Young is a winner of the Gillet International Bassoon Competition. He has appeared as soloist with the National Symphony and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras, as well as in recitals across the United States and around the world. Raving about this Washington, DC native, the Washington Post writes, "Young's music dances with a lightness and grace uncommon for his instrument." Bryan is principal bassoonist of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and performs regularly with the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Memphis. He is a member of the Peabody Preparatory faculty. Bryan studied at Peabody with Linda Harwell and at Yale with Frank Morelli.
The principal oboist of the Baltimore Opera and an active solo artist, Vladimir Lande graduated from the St. Petersburg Conservatory with degrees in both oboe and piano. As principal oboist of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra, he performed with distinguished conductors including Evgeny Mravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Claudio Abbado, Valery Gergiev, and Yuri Temirkanov. Recent tours as a soloist include appearances in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and across most of the United States. Vladimir currently serves as faculty at the American University in Washington, DC and the University of Maryland in Baltimore. Mr. Lande is also the Assistant Conductor of the Johns Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, the Music Director and Conductor of C.O.S.M.I.C. Orchestra in Southern Maryland, and Principal Guest Conductor of the St. Petersburg Symphony.