A Musical Meal with Stravinsky, Milhaud and Larsen

Trio Caspar: Andrea Caputo, clarinet; Jason Moon, violin; Bogang Hwang, piano

  • Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) - Suite for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano, Op. 157b (1936) (11)
  • I. Ouverture
  • II. Divertissement
  • III. Jeu
  • IV. Introduction et Final
  • Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) - L'Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier's Tale) Suite for Trio (1918-19) (16’)
  • I. Marche du Soldat
  • II. Le Violon du Soldat
  • III. Petit Concert
  • IV. Trois Danses: Tango, Valse, Ragtime
  • V. Danse du Diable
  • Libby Larsen (b. 1950) - Slang for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano (1994) (10’)
  • We are so excited to share with you this short and sweet program, which we think of as a musical tasting menu that showcases a wide variety of characters and emotions, and conveys the joy that we find in performing together. Though all the works on the program were written in the 20th century, they draw upon musical languages and styles of past eras in very different ways, thus creating a program of works that were written only within a few decades of each other but cover a much wider musical range.
  • Milhaud’s Suite for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano begins our program as a bubbly aperitif. An incredibly prolific composer, Milhaud drew upon many styles in his compositions, and this suite demonstrates his neoclassical and jazz influences. The highly spirited Ouverture bursts with energy and has the crispness of a dry champagne. The middle two movements—a lilting and sentimental Divertissement and an unapologetically rustic Jeu—offer a great deal of emotional contrast without ever becoming too heavy or serious. The Finale begins with a relatively somber introduction, which before long leads into a suave and swinging movement that humorously quotes “For He’s a Jolly Good Fellow” and shows Milhaud’s love for jazz and Brazilian popular music.
  • Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat makes up the main meat and potatoes of our program. Originally a theatrical work written for actors, dancers, and an instrumental septet, the work tells the story of a soldier who sells his violin to the devil in exchange for the promise of great economic gain. All five movements of this suite, which was arranged by the composer himself, illustrate scenes from the narrative and demonstrate his compositional style. Stravinsky was also heavily influenced by neoclassicism but in a very different way from Milhaud: sharper and more biting, with less distinction between consonance and dissonance. The fourth movement in particular is a collection of three dances (Tango, Waltz, and Ragtime) that seem more like Stravinskyan caricatures of these dance styles than true dance movements.
  • Finishing off our menu as a dessert with quite a kick to it, Libby Larsen’s Slang was commissioned by the Verdehr Trio, one of the most important groups of our instrumentation that was responsible for greatly expanding the repertoire. A one-movement work in three sections, Slang draws upon the “vast array of musical languages” in American culture, from jazz to boogie to funk to “twentieth-century ‘new music’ slang.” Putting this musical tasting menu together has been an absolute joy for us, and we feel excited to finally get to share our joy with you today. Thank you for your support!

Founded in 2024 by clarinetist Andrea Caputo, violinist and violist Jason Moon, and pianist Bogang Hwang, Trio Caspar is an innovative union of three individual voices that aims to bring a fresh perspective of the highest standard to chamber works that are less frequently performed. The name pays homage to the German painter Caspar David Friedrich, whose exploration of the complexity of individualism inspires the trio’s distinctive sound.

Trio Caspar was awarded the Gold Medal, Lift Every Voice Prize, and Horszowski Trio Prize for Piano Ensemble at the 2026 Fischoff Competition in the Senior String Division, as well as the Audience Award and 2nd Prize at the 2026 Yellow Springs Chamber Music Competition. In the 2025-26 season, Trio Caspar gave their debut recital at the Colburn School and performed Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time alongside cellist Gary Hoffman.

The first group to have been named as the Colburn School’s inaugural Honors Chamber Music Ensemble, Trio Caspar is proudly mentored by Colburn faculty members Jonathan Brown, Yehuda Gilad, Fabio Bidini, and Martin Beaver.

Trio Caspar has just recorded their debut album featuring works of Stravinsky, Schoenfeld, Larsen and Schumann, which will be released on the Delos recording label in November 2026.

Andrea Caputo is the Associate Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and a member of the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra. He has performed with world-renowned ensembles and conductors such as Dudamel, Muti, Gergiev, Salonen, Mäkelä, Rattle, Pappano, Noseda, Fischer, Järvi, Gatti, Mehta, Luisi, Honeck, as well as winning multiple prizes in national and international competitions. Born in Italy, he trained all over the globe with sought-after mentors: at The Colburn School in Los Angeles with Yehuda Gilad, the Conservatoire national supérieur de Paris with Pascal Moraguès, the Universität “Mozarteum” Salzburg with Wenzel Fuchs, and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome with Alessandro Carbonare.

Bogang Hwang is a South Korean pianist recognized for her performances as a soloist and chamber musician. She has appeared in major international competitions, including the Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition, the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, and the Wideman International Piano Competition. As a soloist, she made her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut with the Colburn Orchestra under Lionel Bringuier and performed with the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra under Nicholas McGegan. A graduate of Seoul National University with Ick-choo Moon and the Colburn Conservatory with Fabio Bidini, she is currently studying at the University of Southern California with Jeffrey Kahane.

Korean-American violinist Jason Moon leads a multi-faceted career as soloist and chamber musician, driven by a deep musical curiosity and love of collaboration. He has won prizes in several international competitions, including the Seoul International Music Competition and
Hellam Young Artists’ Competition, and has performed as soloist with the San Francisco Symphony and Springfield Symphony. He has appeared at numerous festivals including Kronberg Academy’s Chamber Music Connects the World, Music@Menlo, and Yellow Barn. A graduate of the Juilliard School with Li Lin and the Colburn School with Martin Beaver, Jason is currently a Rebanks Fellow at the Glenn Gould School.

About the Dame Myra Hess Concerts

The concerts are generously sponsored by the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council and by individual donors.

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