GRYPHON TRIO
PIANO TRIO
"Not only extra-ordinary instrumentalists but they have also mastered the art of ensemble playing"
- WESER KURIER, Germany
REVIEWS
"The Gryphon Trio show themselves to be well up for the task, once again affirming their status as one of Canada’s premiere ensembles."
- WHOLENOTE Magazine
"This is a piano trio that plays with strength and unanimity...big, bold, almost orchestral performances."
- THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
“As playing per se, this is exquisite. I don’t just mean technically, though the ensemble and tonal control can be almost breathtaking. Both performances bring out the kind of delicacy and sensuous beauty that’s often overlooked in Beethoven.” [Beethoven Trio: Analekta CD]
- BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE
"The Gryphon's musical conversations are animated and charming...it has character and detail to spare, and elegance is no small accomplishment."
- THE GLOBE AND MAIL, Toronto
"Not only extra-ordinary instrumentalists but they have also mastered the art of ensemble playing"
- WESER KURIER, Germany
“…dynamics of unusual depth and variety…”
- THE WASHINGTON POST
“The evening’s highlight came as the Gryphons…dug into the Mendelssohn trio with full-blooded gusto, carrying us off in wave after wave of Romantic emotion. It was musicmaking at its most communicative.”
- TORONTO STAR
"A more popular combination of piano trio repertory than this would be hard to contemplate, but these accomplished accounts by Canada’s Gryphon Trio are worthy competitors in the field…played with musical insight, technical accomplishment and passionate commitment.”
- THE STRAD Magazine
“This is where an outstanding group such as the Gryphon Trio really comes into its own. Unshackled from the interpretative constraints of the nineteenth-century rhetorical tradition (as few twentieth-century artists were), they play with a compelling directness, spontaneity and free-flowing expressivity that has Beethoven’s muse emerging with the insatiable vitality of a young man flexing his creative muscles in public for the first time.” [ Beethoven Trio: Analekta CD]
- INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW
“Cet excellent Trio canadien, don’t la violoniste, Annalee Patipatanakoon, fut laureate de notre CMIREB, confirme par ce troisieme CD les qualities de raffinement sonore et d’élegance de style qui en font l’une des toutes premiéres formations actuelles dans ce domaine. [Mendelssohn/ Lalo Trio: Analekta CD]
- CRESCENDO MAGAZINE, Belgium
BIOGRAPHY
ANNALEE PATIPATANAKOON, violin
ROMAN BORYS, cello
JAMES PARKER, piano
Celebrating over 30 years of artistry and innovation, Gryphon Trio has firmly cemented its place as one of the world's foremost piano trios, captivating audiences globally with their vibrant, boundary-pushing performances. Comprising violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, cellist Roman Borys, and pianist Jamie Parker, Gryphon Trio is celebrated for its dynamic programming, from cherished classical repertoire to avant-garde, multimedia collaborations that redefine chamber music for the 21st century.
Entering their fourth decade, Gryphon Trio is once again set to inspire with their groundbreaking production, ECHOES: Memories of the World, a multimedia journey that merges music, narrative, and film to explore themes of cultural resilience and historical memory. Featuring both Indigenous and non-Indigenous creators, including mezzo-soprano Marion Newman Nege’ga and narrator čačumḥi Aaron M. Wells, this work honors visionary artists who have defied erasure, inviting audiences to experience music as a bridge to understanding and empowerment.
The Trio’s prolific discography, spanning 22 albums on renowned labels such as Analekta and Naxos, is a rich testament to their commitment to the piano trio repertoire, with accolades that include 11 Juno nominations and three wins for Classical Album of the Year (2019, 2011 & 2004). In 2013, the Canada Council for the Arts recognized their exceptional contributions with the prestigious Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts. Dedicated to expanding the canon, they have commissioned over 85 new works, pushing artistic boundaries and welcoming fresh voices into the chamber music landscape.
With a touring schedule that spans North America, Europe, and beyond, Gryphon Trio maintains strong partnerships with institutions including Orford Music Academy, Music Toronto, Ottawa Chamberfest, and Festival del Lago in Mexico. Equally at ease with major symphonies or in intimate chamber salon settings, the Trio’s performances are both ambitious and intimate, drawing listeners into an unforgettable musical dialogue.
Committed educators, Gryphon Trio actively mentors emerging musicians and audiences. They serve as ensemble-in-residence at the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts in Kingston and as artists-in-residence at Trinity College, University of Toronto. Their Listen Up! initiative, launched in 2010, has brought large-scale, community-based arts projects to 16 Canadian communities, inspiring collaborative creation and arts education nationwide. Additionally, they lead the Piano Trio Workshop in colleges, universities, and conservatories around the globe.
Beyond their Trio work, the members are each dedicated arts advocates. Roman Borys served as Artistic Director of the Ottawa Chamber Music Society for over a decade and was recently appointed Artistic & Executive Director of Music Toronto. Annalee Patipatanakoon, a faculty member and Chair of the Strings Performance Area at the University of Toronto, and Jamie Parker, who holds the Rupert E. Edwards Chair in Piano Performance, continue to influence Canada’s music landscape through their leadership roles and teaching.
Gryphon Trio’s journey is a powerful testament to the transformative potential of chamber music. As they continue to push artistic boundaries, their music resonates across generations, uniting people through shared cultural and creative experiences.
November 2024
PREFERRED CONCERTO LIST
2020–23
Beethoven
Triple Concerto
John Estacio*
Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin and Cello
Paul Frehner*
Berliner Konzert - Triple Concerto
Bohdana Frolyak
Music of Dreams - Triple Concerto
Nicole Lizée*
Wunderkammer (création)
Jordan Pal*
Starling: Triple Concerto
Ron Royer*
Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Cello and Piano
Jeffrey Ryan*
Equilateral – Piano Trio Concerto
*Denotes Canadian composer
Recital repertoire available upon request
Master classes and workshops available
Other concerti available upon request
DISCOGRAPHY
Beethoven, Wright: Immortal and Beloved
(with David John Pike)
Analekta 2 9522
The End of Flowers
Analekta 2 9520
Jordan Pal: Into the Wonder
(with Arthur Post conducting Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra)
Analekta 2 9521
Dark Star Requiem
Centrediscs CD 1709
Elements Eternal: New Canadian Works
(w/Julie Nesrallah)
Naxos 8.573533
For the End of Time: Messiaen, Louie, Silvestrov/
James Campbell
Analekta 2 9861
Gryphon Trio: Great Piano Trios 9 Cd Box set
Analekta 2 9510-8
Broken Hearts & Madmen: with Patricia O'Callaghan
Analekta 2 9870
Jeff Ryan: Fugitive Colours - Equilateral/Vancouver Symphony, Bramwell Tovey
Naxos
Beethoven: Piano Trios - Op. 70, Nos. 1 & 2; Op. 11
Analekta 2 9860
Beethoven: Piano Trio Op. 1 No. 2; Piano Trio Op. 97 "Archduke"
Analekta AN 2 9858
Tango Nuevo: Piazzolla, Durán, Ginastera
Analekta AN 2 9857
Schubert: Complete Piano Trios
Analekta AN 2 9855-6
Christos Hatzis’ Constantinople
Analekta AN 2 9925
Shostakovich: Piano Trios 1&2
Analekta AN 2 9854
W.A. Mozart: Piano Trios
Analekta AN 2 9827-8
Dvorak and Mendelssohn: Piano Trios
Analekta FL 2 3110
Haydn: Four Piano Trios
Analekta FL 2 3104
Mendelssohn and Lalo: Piano Trios
Analekta FL 2 3127
Beethoven: Op. 1, Nos. 1 & 3
Analekta FL 2 3170
Canadian Premieres: Murphy, Chan Hatzis, Kulesha*
Analekta FL 2 3174
PHOTOS
Photography
Daniel Ehrenworth
Shin Sugino
Johne Beebe
Bo Huang
Click each image to download a hi-res version
