About the Artist

Do you have a French Fantasy? Trio 55 (no it is not a ménage à trois in the sense that you’re thinking) will play out their French dreams on the Hey Nonny stage for this show. Trio 55 is violinist Michele Lekas, cellist Mark Lekas, and harpist Lillian Lau. That’s a total of 55 strings for those of you keeping score at home! This show will focus on three dreamy French pieces: Camille Saint-Saëns’ Fantaisie for Violin and Harp, Bernard Andrès’ Chants d’arrière-Saison for Cello and Harp, and the final movement of Henriette Renié’s fascinating Trio For Harp, Violin and Violoncello. Renié’ was a pioneer in establishing and documenting methods of teaching and notating harp performance, as well as a ground-breaking composer in a highly romantic 19th century style.

The three trio members are active all over town, including with the Chicago Symphony, the Grant Park Symphony, the Lyric Opera, the Northwest Indiana Symphony, the New Philharmonic Orchestra, the Woodstock Music Festival, and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra. All three are also well-known pedagogues, but we don’t hold that against them.