Koan Trio
Lucia Mense // Recorders
Chao Ming Tung // Gu Zheng
Carter Williams // Viola d'amore and Live-Electronics

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koan |ˈkōˌän| noun
(Japanese 公案; Chinese 公案, gōngàn, public bill; Korean 공안, gong-an; Vietnamese công án)
a paradoxical anecdote or riddle, used in Zen Buddhism to demonstrate the inadequacy of logical reasoning and to provoke enlightenment.

Formed in 2006 the trio's evocative sound comes from its unique instrumentation, which straddles not only eastern and western musical cultures but also early and new music.  The name suggests the paradoxical nature of such an ensemble combination as well as our hope that in exploring such musical paradoxes we are able to achieve a deeper level of musical expression.  Previous projects have investigated the role of mysticism in various musical traditions and our next concert series will thematize the symbolism of numbers in music and the interaction between video and sound.