arts executive, pianist
Hailed by critics as "a grand departure from the usual" (News Herald), the Manhattan Piano Trio has performed hundreds of concerts for enthusiastic audiences across the USA and in venues such as Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Hall, and the Ravinia Festival. The Washington Post described the Trio as "impressive" and "outstanding". At the same time, the Sarasota Herald Tribune said, "one seldom is privileged to enjoy music of such a wide range of styles performed with self-effacing skill and relaxed assurance." Their third album, a disc of Schumann and Chopin trios in honor of the composers' bicentennials, was released in 2010 on the Marquis Classics label.
The Manhattan Piano Trio embodies, in the deepest sense, the borough that gives it its namesake. These three American musicians come from starkly different backgrounds, yet connect on a fundamental level and enjoy making music together. Wayne Lee, violinist, is a native of San Francisco; Dmitry Kouzov, cellist, was born in St. Petersburg, Russia; and Milana Strezeva, pianist, is originally from Chişinău, Moldova.
Shortly after its formation in 2004, the Manhattan Piano Trio won grand prizes at the Plowman and Yellow Springs Competitions and received the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Listeners' Choice Award at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. Since then, MPT has carved out a unique niche by performing in a much wider range of settings, from major concert halls across the country to venues in smaller cities. The Trio has performed in prestigious venues such as the Kravis Performing Arts Center, the Clark Memorial Library at UCLA, Chamber Music Sedona, and Pro Musica Detroit. Alongside these engagements, MPT has maintained its goal of establishing and encouraging new concert series in places often bypassed by other major classical groups.
Past seasons have brought the Manhattan Piano Trio to virtually every part of the country. Highlights include performances and return engagements at Franciscan University, William and Mary College, Shenandoah University, the Fairmont Chamber Music Society, Young Harris Methodist College, the St. Simon's Island Concert Association, Oxford College of Emory University, and the Lakes Chamber Music Festival in Minnesota. The Trio has also toured South Africa and Italy, performing in Pretoria, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Durban, as well as in Bologna, Rovereto, and Portici.
Members of the MPT are devoted teachers, chamber musicians, and entrepreneurs. Milana is the President and Artistic Director of the Grand Piano Series; Dmitry is an Associate Professor of Cello at Oberlin; and Wayne currently plays with the Seattle Symphony. All the performers completed graduate degrees at The Juilliard.