About the Zodiac Trio
One of today’s premiere clarinet-violin-piano ensembles, the Zodiac Trio is known for presenting masterpieces for their unconventional instrumentation alongside hidden gems, arrangements, and the occasional duo/solo in a concert experience marked with a special gusto, virtuosity and energy.
The Zodiac Trio’s story begins in New York in 2006 when three young musicians from the Manhattan School of Music decided to join forces in an unconventional ensemble, and spearhead a career dedicated to the clarinet-violin-piano instrumentation. The Zodiac Trio was officially launched with a concert at Merkin Concert Hall in New York City and presented to the classical music listeners by WQXR’s Young Artist Showcase. Understanding that extraordinary results require extraordinary efforts, one year after its founding the newly-minted Zodiac Trio decided to move to Paris to attend the Paris Conservatory under the guidance of the Ysaye Quartet and their unique chamber music program – becoming the first American group and first ensemble with an wind instrument to be accepted to the program. Their formative years in Paris was laced with victories on the international chamber music circuit with prizes from the Cziffra Foundation, the FNAPEC Chamber Music Competition, the International Carlo Saliva Competition, the International Chamber Music Competition Duchi D’Acquaviva, the International Chamber Music Competition Val Tidone, as well as the Yellow Springs Chamber Music Competition, among others. In 2008, the London-based MUSO magazine took notice and shone light on the ensemble in a two-page feature.
Today the Zodiac Trio enjoys an international concert schedule that consistently spans three continents and is recognized by many to be one of the foremost clarinet-violin-piano ensembles performing today. Since its formation, the Zodiac Trio has managed to achieve a level of recognition on the international chamber music stage, rarely bestowed upon an ensemble of such untraditional instrumentation. The Zodiac Trio’s extensive touring schedule has brought it to many premiere international venues such as Ottawa Chamberfest, Festival Radio France Montpellier, International Colmar Festival, Beijing Performing Arts Center, Izumi Hall in Japan and Lincoln Center in New York. The trio’s live performances have been broadcast by France 3 Television, Radio Classique, Beijing’s CCTV News, Canada’s CBC Radio and Television, NBC, New York’s WXQR and WNYC, Chicago’s WFMT, Boston’s WGBH, Italy’s RAI and Radio France in Paris.
Over the years, the Zodiac Trio has garnered wide critical acclaim for their unyielding passion for the clarinet-violin-piano instrumentation, their unbending dedication to perfection and the thrill of sharing their love for chamber music with their audiences. The group has been praised for their “impeccable technique” (Fanfare Magazine), "remarkable musicality of rare intensity" (La Tribune, France), “seemingly effortless ease” (San Angelo Standard Times), “truly exceptional and sublime talent” (Nice-Matin, France); and declared by the French newspaper La Marseillaise as “one the best chamber ensembles of its generation...”
Since their first touring season nearly a decade ago, the Zodiac Trio has performed in nearly 40 states, as well as Canada, Sweden, Scotland, France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Japan and notably in over 30 different cities in China over the span of 4 extensive tours. In addition to performing, the ensemble has been invited to present master classes and clinics at such institutions as the Manhattan School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, Roosevelt University, University of Minnesota, Tulsa University, University of Missouri, Western Michigan University, Colorado College, Boston Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, Tufts University, Southeastern University of Oklahoma, China Conservatory of Beijing, Mount Allison University, Acadia University and many others.
Considering its novelty instrumentation, the Zodiac Trio has carried the torch for new music since its debut concert which featured a world premiere of a work written for the then newly-formed group. Since, the Zodiac Trio has commissioned over three dozen new works, including from Grammy-award-winning composer Richard Danielpour, and has had over 100 works written via call-for-score. Their 2015 album DREAMTIME featured 3 works written for the ensemble, and received accolades from the new music community with Sequenza 21 writing “the Zodiac Trio excel at bringing new compositions to life.”
In 2013, wanting to further incorporate pedagogy into their modus operandi, the Zodiac Trio founded an international chamber music academy and festival in the South of France - Zodiac Music Academy & Festival (www.zodiacfestival.com). The summer festival invites highly advanced students and pre-professionals to spend two weeks performing on the Côte D’Azur and studying with an internationally renowned faculty, lead by the Zodiac Trio. Now in its 7th season, ZMAF has grown to be recognized as a competitive and selective academy that attracts over 200 applications each year from many top schools across North America.
The Zodiac Trio is represented exclusively by Latitude 45 Arts (www.latitude45arts.com).
Meet the Trio
Kliment Krylovskiy, clarinet
Praised for his “easy facility, a vibrant tone” and “expressiveness and exuberance” by the New York Concert Review, “masterful playing” by L’Orfeo (Mexico), “simply fabulous clarinetist" by Journal des Citoyens (Canada) and proclaimed as “an artist whose profound musicality is only matched by his sparkling technique” (Nice-Matin, France), Russian/American clarinetist Kliment Krylovskiy has been enjoying an international concert career as member of the esteemed Zodiac Trio. Professor of Clarinet at the Conservatoire du Cagnes sur Mer and Conservatoire du Draguignan in France, Mr. Krylovskiy is the Artistic of the Zodiac Music Academy & Festival.
Mr. Krylovskiy has appeared as soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, the University of Central Florida Percussion ensemble in a premiere of "Night Wanderings" written for him, the University of Nebraska Woodwind Ensemble, has been featured multiple times in the role of "Channan" (played by clarinetist onstage) in Ofer ben Amots chamber opera "the Dubbyk.”
Mr. Krylovskiy's live solo and chamber music performances could be heard on Radio France, Italy's RAI, Canadian Broadcasting Company, Beijing CCTV as well as radio stations WNYC and WQXR (New York, WGBH (Boston) and WFMT (Chicago).
Vanessa Mollard, violin
Final student of Franco Gulli, Vanessa Mollard has appeared as soloist with the Gent Symphony Orchestra, Geneva Philharmonic, Marseille Symphony Orchestra and the Monte-Carlo Symphony, and has worked with Pierre Boulez, Mstislav Rostropovich, Kurt Mazur and Jean-Claude Casadesus. As a pioneer of new music, Ms. Mollard has collaborated with renowned composers Nicolas Bacri and Laurent Petigirard, whose compositions she premiered. A recipient of the Princess Grace of Monaco Foundation sponsorship, she has studied with Olivier Charlier, Patrice Fontanarosa, Gerard Jarry, Roland Daugareil and Ivry Gitlis.
Riko Higuma, piano
A versatile musician, Riko Higuma is a highly sought-after piano collaborator and a sensitive chamber musician, performing with the world’s leading artists throughout the United States, Europe, Russia and Japan. As a soloist, she was a top-prize winner at the Jacob Flier International Piano Competition and the Santa Fe International Piano Competition.
Ms.Higuma's collaborations on the recital and concert stage have included such distinguished artists as Aaron Rosand, Albert Markov, Neil Rosenshein, Cho-Liang Lin, Alan Gilbert, Steven Tanenbom, Dora Schwarzberg, Timothy Eddy, Jeffrey Solow, Dmitri Sitkovetsky and Ray Chen, among others. Appearances in music festivals include Lidal North at the Norwegian Opera House, La Jolla Chamberfest, New DOCTA festival in Argentina, New Music On the Point in Vermont as a member of the American Modern Ensemble and the Summit Music Festival in New York, where she performed a gala recital with the legendary violinist Aaron Rosand. Since her engagement as the rehearsal pianist for the New York Philharmonic premier of Lera Auerbach’s violin concerto working with violinist Leonidas Kavakos in 2017, she has continuously been engaged by them working with top soloists and conductors of today.
Ms.Higuma studied with Phillip Kawin at the Manhattan School of Music, where she is currently engaged as a staff pianist and vocal coach.