Principal celebrates Black Moon Trio's mission of collaboratively affecting positive change in communities through chamber music. This debut album features five world premiere recordings of works commissioned or arranged by the ensemble, all written by living composers.

Throughout Black Moon Trio’s first two seasons, the group designed and premiered six performance programs that not only offered the opportunity for commissioning new compositions, but also built pathways for collaboration with numerous cultural, educational, and community organizations. These programs promoted cultural events such as Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations; explored the contributions of BIPOC artists from different genres such as author Michael Tyler and visual artist Bob Thompson; supported arts-integrated curricula in public schools; and even tackled community-led initiatives such as presenting health equity and environmental justice data to state and local officials.

Each project created fruitful relationships with extremely talented people, not the least of which were those made with the composers of these recorded works. The five composers featured on Principal were each challenged with revamping the sonic identity of the horn, violin, and piano trio beyond the Romantic flavor with which most audiences are familiar. To say they have succeeded would be an understatement. Each composition delves into its own unique sound world that, analogous to the ensemble’s performance catalog, ensures that there is something for everyone. Expertly realized in cover art by artist Natashna Anderson, this debut album is a weaving of Black Moon Trio's collaborations into a beautiful tapestry of sound.

Black Moon Trio is tremendously proud of this collection of music and the connections they continue to foster in their work. It is their hope that you enjoy this dynamic classical music experience beyond the conventional canon and that it inspires you to look to the arts for pathways towards a brighter future for us all.