Trio Gaia, New England Conservatory’s graduate piano trio in residence, formed in 2018 and is dedicated to offering audiences dynamic, personally relevant experiences inside and outside the concert hall. Comprised of violinist Grant Houston, cellist Yi-Mei Templeman, and pianist Andrew Barnwell, the trio has gone on to win 1st prize at the 2022 WDAV Young Chamber Musicians Competition, as well as prizes in the 2022 Premio Trio di Trieste International Music Competition, 2021 Chamber Music Yellow Springs Competition, and the 2019 Plowman National Chamber Music Competition, showing their emergence as one of the leading piano trios of today.
Recent seasons have brought them to appearances on stages nationally and internationally, including recitals for the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Davidson College Concert Series, and Core Memory Music, as well as performances in Osaka, Japan, as part of the Osaka International Chamber Music Competition.
Dedicated to sharing classical music in the community, Trio Gaia is sought-after for its educational programming for students, seniors, and everyone in between. The trio has crafted weeklong residencies for both the Panama Jazz Festival and the Virginia Arts Festival in support of its mission to invite students into the experience of creating chamber music. Previously, Trio Gaia served as Community Performance & Partnership fellows at NEC, and most recently they were invited to perform and teach at PRIZM International Music Festival in Tennessee.