Today WRA Alumnae Ann Yu ’14 and her Poiema Trio graced the Chapel stage in another Bicentennial performance for the lucky Pioneers in the pews. Chamber music might not be a go-to for every teenager, but Yu and her fellow musicians made its messages resonant and relevant, dovetailing perfectly with Giving and Gratitude Week at WRA and the tendency and tradition of Reserve students showing up for each other.

"There have been a lot of standing ovations today," Yu said, after hearing a Senior Speech by Nicole Pae ’25 to kick off Morning Meeting and a Debussy performance by Jessica Sun ’26 to open the concert. "One of the things I carry with me from my time at Reserve is how people stood up for each other. Your being here today is an extension of generosity and for me, a joy," she said.

Yu delivered an elegant primer on chamber music, interspersed with Poiema Trio’s performance, describing it fundamentally as practicing empathy. “Listen to how melodies are passed, how we pass themes to each other, how we are conversational, with each person playing an equal part.” Widely acclaimed as individual performers and an ensemble, Poiema Trio includes violinist Yu, pianist Anran Qian and cellist Nathan Francisco. Qian had the opportunity to be among the first to play the Chapel’s new Bicentennial Steinway, christened by Class of 2026 musical phenoms Jessica Sun ’26 and Evan Dean ’26 over the past weekend after arriving on campus on Friday.

Poiema Trio will spend a week's residency at Reserve as part of our Bicentennial Recital Series, offering masterclasses, coaching and even a jam session or two, working closely with Fine & Performing Arts Faculty Midge Karam ’79, who was a mentor to Yu and so many others. Poiema Trio will close the week with a recital on Saturday, March 8, at 5 p.m. in the Chapel. The Recital is free and open to the public. 

For those unable to attend the Chapel concert on Saturday, click here to enjoy via livestream at 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 8.