Trio Ferace, a select group of music students, will perform at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in the Hopper-Danley Spiritual Center.  It is free and open to all.

In May 2012, Trio Ferace will be traveling to Tokai University in Japan, where they will interact with local university students and collaborate on a final concert at the end of their stay. They will be staying in the homes of community members and will have an opportunity to experience the culture of the area.

Grand Forks native and Trio Ferace member Rachel Abbe also will give a presentation about American music therapy during the visit to Japan.

This trip is designed to build a relationship with Tokai University that may develop in the future. The intent also is to promote UND, especially the music department, in hopes of strengthening international ties.

Trio Ferace began playing together in January. The members of the ensemble are Cecilia Garcia Gaul, violin; Fernando Vargas, cello; and Rachel Abbe; piano. They are under the direction of UND piano professor Nariaki Sugiura.

About the ensemble:

Cecilia Florencia Garcia Gaul was born in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She started her violin studies in the Conservatory “Gilardo Gilardi,” where she graduated as teacher and performer in 2007. She started her master’s degree at UND under instructor Alejandro Drago, in the Fall of 2010, and will graduate in May. Currently, Gaul works at Arioso Music Academy.

Fernando Vargas was born in Venezuela. He studied at the Geneva Conservatoire in Switzerland, finishing his undergraduate degree at the University of the Southern Mississippi. He has studied with Daniel Grosgurin, Alexander Russakovsky, and Carmen Rosa Rodriguez. Also, he has received master classes with prestigious maestros such: Christine Walevska, Joshua Roman, Sandor Devich. Currently, he is pursuing his master’s degree in cello performance with Simona Barbu.

Rachel Abbe began lessons with local teacher Gloria Bethke and continued in college with instructor Susan Tang. She is currently working on an undergraduate degree in music therapy. She also is majoring in piano performance with Sugiura, and she teaches music lessons at Scott’s Music in Grand Forks.