Despite the challenges that this unprecedented year set for all of our NCCMI musicians, they continue to demonstrate perseverance and dedication to their love of chamber music. We are extremely proud of three musicians from 2020-2021 NCCMI group Trè Voce Piano Trio: Leena Hocutt-Duarte, violin, Sophia Knappe, cello, and Hrishikesh Ram, piano, for their outstanding accomplishments. In June of this year, the group learned that they won the Grand Prize in the 2021 Virtuoso International Online Music Competition hosted by the organization Young Musicians Inspiring Change (YMIC). Leena recalled how the group had been practicing as a trio for only “a few weeks” as a fun project on the side. She said they were extremely surprised and excited to have won: “None of us expected to place, much less win Grand Prize. […] It was a very unexpected win but we are so honored and grateful.” They are set to debut in Carnegie Hall on October 2nd, 2021, performing the Mendelssohn D Minor Trio, as a part of their prize. We are so excited for these talented musicians, and we can’t wait to see how far they’ll go in the future! This is just the beginning. Congratulations to them!

The trio also won first place in the University of South Carolina chamber music competition that was hosted in April of this year.