Beaux Arts Trio
| Company type | Musical ensemble |
|---|---|
| Industry | Classical music performance |
| Founded | 1955-07-13 |
| Founder | Menahem Pressler, Daniel Guilet, Bernard Greenhouse |
| Defunct | 2008-09-06 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | International |
Key people | Menahem Pressler (piano), Daniel Guilet (violin), Bernard Greenhouse (cello) |
| Products | Recordings of piano trio repertoire |
The Beaux Arts Trio gained acclaim as a distinguished piano trio celebrated for their emotive interpretations and broad selection of works. Their inaugural performance occurred on 13 July 1955 at the Berkshire Music Festival (currently known as the Tanglewood Music Center) in Massachusetts, U.S. Their final concert in the United States was held at Tanglewood on 21 August 2008, which was broadcast live online and is preserved in the NPR Music archives. The ensemble's ultimate appearance took place on 6 September 2008 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Throughout their career, the trio produced recordings encompassing the entire core piano trio repertoire. To commemorate their 50th year in 2005, they released two distinctive CD collections: one compiling well-known tracks under Philips Records, and another presenting newly recorded pieces issued by Warner Records.
Pianist Menahem Pressler remained the sole original member throughout the trio's lifespan. The founding members in 1955 were:
- piano: Menahem Pressler
- violin: Daniel Guilet
- cello: Bernard Greenhouse
Over time, various musicians filled the violin and cello roles, including:
- violin: Isidore Cohen (1968–1992), Ida Kavafian (1992–1998), Yung Uck Kim (1998–2002), Daniel Hope (2002–2008)
- cello: Peter Wiley (1987–1998), Antonio Meneses (1998–2008)
In celebration of the trio’s 60th anniversary, Decca Classics issued an extensive 60-CD anthology in July 2015.