Puget Sound Piano Trio

The Puget Sound Piano Trio is ensemble-in-residence at University of Puget Sound School of Music. The Trio’s celebrated performances on the Jacobsen Concert Series and in other Pacific Northwest venues reach both their campus community and a larger regional and national audience.

Over the group's 35-year history, renowned performers of prior decades have retired from the School of Music and new generations of virtuoso artists have stepped into their shoes. Today, the trio is composed of Puget Sound faculty members Maria Sampen (violin), Alistair MacRae (cello), and Ronaldo Rolim (piano). Individually, these three musicians come from distinguished musical backgrounds, bringing a rich variety of professional experiences to their work as an ensemble. They have appeared individually and as a trio with orchestras and at major music festivals throughout the United States and abroad. They have performed in such venues as Benaroya Hall (Seattle), Lincoln Center (New York), Carnegie Hall (New York), Orchestra Hall (Chicago), and at numerous colleges and universities.

The Puget Sound Piano Trio is equally at home performing repertoire from the standard classical canon and hot-off-the-press works of living composers. Their commitment to performing new music extends not only to works from the classical world but to pieces based on jazz, popular, and folk traditions.

In addition to performing on the concert stage, the Trio is deeply committed to educational outreach. As part of this mission, the ensemble gives free workshops, master classes, and concerts at schools in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the United States. The Trio believes that music and art should be a part of every child’s education.