Verdehr said the trio has performed in many large-scale concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the Sydney Opera House.

Still, he said he continues to love working and performing at MSU.

“MSU is a wonderful place to work because the administration encourages performance,” he said. “We have freedom, both at school and in performance. It means a lot to both of us because it’s given us a home base.”

When the trio began, Verdehr said he commissioned works from the MSU faculty, but as the popularity grew, they began commissioning works from other, more famous composers.

“What’s really important are the 200 published works, both in this country and in Europe,” he said.
The Verdehr Trio has produced 20 CDs and 6 DVDs that include interviews with the composers of the pieces they play in the video.

Verdehr said the concert tomorrow is going to be an overview of the pieces they are going to play during their 40th anniversary year.

James Forger, dean of the College of Music, said the trio reflects well on MSU.

“MSU seeks to have individuals at the top of their profession,” he said. “They have the whole package.”

Forger said the people of East Lansing are lucky to have a group like the Verdehr Trio around.
“The community is fortunate to have performers like this,” he said. “The concert will present a wide variety of music that is bound to please.”

Ricardo Lorenz is an associate professor of composition at the College of Music and wrote one of the pieces the trio will be performing.

Lorenz said the trio asked him to write the piece before he became a professor at MSU, but that he is elated to be a part of the history.

“Every composer knows someone who has written a piece for the trio,” he said. “It’s a great honor to be part of a long heritage.”

Lorenz added he is excited about this concert.

“Every time I hear a concert by the Verdehr Trio it’s a surprise,” he said. “They always have a new piece. I look forward to whatever they put together.”