Pizzicatos and piano trills resonated throughout Slosberg Recital Hall as students, faculty and family gathered Thursday night for the first and only performance by the Student Ensemble in Residence Program Trio this academic year. The SERP Trio is comprised of violinist Graham Patten '07, cellist Sidney Coren '07 and pianist Joshua Klein '07, all recipients of the Leonard Bernstein Scholarship here at Brandeis. The trio studies under the Lydian String Quartet. The evening's repertoire included famous works by Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven, as well as a piece by 20th century Hungarian composer Zolt*n Kod*ly. The concert began as Patten and Coren walked on stage with their instruments. The tension in the room rose as Patten took a long moment to compose himself, finally breaking into his solo of Bach's "Sonata No. 1 in G Minor." For five minutes that lasted a delightful eternity, Patten skillfully manipulated his bow as his instrument spoke to the audience with elegant simplicity and finesse.

Next, Coren took the spotlight, performing his solo-Bach's "Suite No. 1 in G Major," a highly melodic piece that was just as technically demanding as the first. Coren's beautifully polished articulation guided the melody to create dramatically expressive and highly fluent atmosphere.

After both solos, Patten and Coren performed Kodaly's "Duo for Violin and Cello." Coren prefaced the song by announcing that they chose the piece for its "lush and passionate" qualities. This particular work possessed very rich as well as dynamic and innovative qualities, and its elegiac uncertainty established by the perfect tonal balance and form was highly characteristic of Kodaly's compositions.

The night's fourth piece, performed by Klein, was Beethoven's "Piano Sonata No. 14," more commonly known as "Moonlight Sonata." This work's original name, "Quasi una Fantasia," or "almost a fantasy," signifies its dreamy, divine qualities. Most prominent in the first movement, these moods were masterfully interpreted by Klein. The second movement replaced the somber tones of the first with a brighter melody. The piece's culmination, its invigorating presto agitato movement, was also Klein's most spectacular performance, keeping the audience members on the edge of their seats as Klein's hands blurred over the keyboard with each rapid progression.

After a roar of applause, the trio finally assembled for its final work, Beethoven's "Trio IV for Piano, Violin and Cello." The prominent movement "Pria ch'io l'impegno," or "Before I begin work, I must have something to eat," carried a light and comical air, as implied by the name. As before, each player's finesse persisted until the final note. Its end greeted by a standing ovation, the performance was unquestionably a huge success. It's a shame there won't be one like it in the spring.