Brandon University Trio

Brandon University Trio

Brandon University Trio (formerly Halifax Trio). One of Canada's longest-lived chamber ensembles. A piano trio, it was founded in 1955 in Halifax as the Halifax Trio by Francis Chaplin, violin, Edward Bisha, cello, and Gordon Macpherson, piano, and established a national reputation through its many CBC broadcasts. Aided by a Canada Council grant the members of the trio moved to Brandon University in 1966 as artists-in-residence and remained there as the Brandon University Trio. Bisha was succeeded in 1968 by Malcolm Tait who was replaced in 1985 by the Swedish cellist, Ingemar Ohlsson. In 1991 MacPherson retired from Brandon University but remained in the trio. A repertoire of over 100 trios includes the standard works, as well as compositions by Violet Archer, S.C. Eckhardt-Gramatté, Michel Perrault, Robert Turner, and Arnold Walter. In 1963 a work by Barbara Pentland was commissioned for the group by the CBC and in 1989 the trio commissioned, assisted by the MAC, Trio Classico by Brandon University colleague, Kenneth Nichols. This was featured in the trio's tour of Ontario and Quebec which ended at McGill University. The trio has continued to give yearly concerts in Manitoba.