PROJECT Trio
Genre:: Chamber / Classical / Jazz / Hip Hop
Watch:: Backcountry Gypsy Django / Empire State of Mind / Inspector Gadget
Website:: http://www.projecttrio.com/
Connect:: Facebook / Twitter / YouTube
PROJECT Trio (NEW YORK, NEW YORK) is taking chamber music to a whole new level, while pushing the boundaries of classical music with a high octane mix of jazz, hip-hop and rock. Based in Brooklyn, New York, the trio performs to enthusiastic audiences of all ages in concert halls, clubs, and classrooms around the world. The Trio, now in its fifth year, is drawing new audiences to classical music and reinvigorating existing fans of chamber music through their innovative performances, recordings and their YouTube channel, which has over 66 million views and 75,000 subscribers, making PROJECT Trio one of the most watched instrumental ensembles on the Internet. The Trio, which performs over 70 concerts a year, made their Carnegie Hall debut in 2010. In addition to their extensive performing schedule, the Trio is dedicated to arts education, inspiring a whole new generation of concert going music lovers. PROJECT Trio has performed and led workshops for over 100,000 students on 3 continents, including over 35 states in the US. PROJECT Trio is instantly recognizable to students of all ages as a result of their YouTube following and appearances on popular TV shows on Nickelodeon and MTV. Their educational programs are adapted to meet the National Standards for Music Education, with specialized curricula for age groups from elementary students through college.
GREG PATTILLO (FLUTE) is known throughout the world for his redefinition of flute sound. Classically trained as a student of Joshua Smith at the Cleveland Institute of Music, Pattillo earned his first job as principal flutist of the Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra. A desire to experiment with his sound led him to San Francisco where he became a founding member of the Collaborate Arts Insurgency, a group of writers, poets and musicians that performed shows of stylistic mash-ups throughout the bay area. This is where he began blending beatbox techniques and flute styles with the sounds of beat poetry and hip hop rhymes, ultimately developing his unique style combining classical music with the street art of beatboxing. After moving to NYC in 2005, he posted his first video on YouTube to show people what he did. The video “Inspector Gadget” instantly became one of the most watched videos on YouTube, leading Pattillo to numerous television appearances such as Nickelodeon’s iCarly, BBC’s Lilly Allen Show, Fox’s Best Damn Sports Show Ever and MTV’s It’s On with Alexa Chung, and launching the success of beatbox flute and PROJECT Trio. This year, the National Flute Association commissioned Pattillo to write “Three Beats for Beatbox Flute” for the High School Soloist Competition. In response to the growing interest in Pattillo’s techniques, the piece, along with other works by Pattillo and a book on flute beatboxing technique.
ERIC STEPHENSON (CELLO) is an exceptionally versatile cellist, whose style ranges from classical to jazz to rock and folk. He has performed with numerous orchestras like the IRIS Orchestra in Memphis, TN and the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder, CO. Eric earned his Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees with Honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music and was a recipient of the Ellis A. Feiman Award in Cello while a student of Stephen Geber. As a fellow at the Aspen Music Festival, he served as Assistant Principal Cello of the Aspen Festival Orchestra. He has appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra and the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, Colorado. In 2006, Eric moved to NYC and has performed with countless ensembles and spends most of his time performing with PROJECT Trio. Composing and recording is a huge part of his life. He has engineered and mixed 2 full length PROJECT Trio albums and premiered 2 works for trio and orchestra. In his spare time, he enjoys biking around Brooklyn and playing the tenor sax.
PETER SEYMOUR (BASS) has performed with a multitude of highly acclaimed artists and ensembles. As a regular sub with the Cleveland Orchestra he performed under the baton of Franz Welser-Möst and as a member of the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He has also performed with the Houston Symphony, the Charlotte Symphony and the Chicago Civic Orchestra. He was the recipient of the Downbeat Magazine Award for Best Jazz Soloist and has shared the stage with such luminaries as Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, and Bobby McFerrin. The son of an educator, Peter has been very active in planning and performing community outreach activities throughout the country and served as events coordinator for the New World Symphony Orchestra from 2001-2004. He received a Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a Master’s Degree in Bass Performance from Rice University where he was a student of Paul Ellison. Peter is active composing and performing with the PROJECT Trio and presently resides in Brooklyn, New York.