After seven years of delighting and engaging live audiences with their inventive performances, Aotearoa New Zealand alumni ensemble Morton Trio – comprising of husband-and-wife duo, violinist Arna Morton and Alex Morton (alum 2017, horn) with Liam Wooding (alum 2019, piano) – have just realised their self-titled debut album.
Subtitled “Something old, something new, something borrowed…”, the album was produced with the support of Creative NZ, and features an enchanting selection of works, including a Brahms double-bill, and a brand-new piece written especially for the ensemble by Arna.
Morton Trio acknowledges that there isn’t a lot of repertoire written for their combination of instruments (violin, horn and piano), and they hope that this album will begin to address this shortfall, and become the start of their recorded catalogue. The album represents a maturation of the ensemble, and as Arna says of the inspiration for her new work Summer which premieres on the album – “The work is about the period of life that our trio is in now. We are no longer new and after national and international tours, we are established on the chamber music scene as an ensemble, but also as accomplished musicians with extensive experience to share with our audiences.”
Also included on the album is Brahms’ Trio op. 8 in B major – originally written for violin, cello and piano, Arna has transcribed the cello part for French horn. The result is an absolute delight, with the ensemble highlighting Brahms’ youthful energy and wit in this early work of his oeuvre. Rounding out the album is the perennial favourite, Brahms’ iconic Horn Trio op. 40 in E-flat major, one of his most popular pieces of chamber music. Morton Trio feels honoured to record this work and they consider it one of the pinnacles of the artform.
With the three musicians often living in different cities (and sometimes countries), the album is proof of their dedication to each other and of the artform of chamber music to connect with audiences. The Trio enjoyed two highly successful tours of the UK (supported by Pettman/ROSL) and New Zealand in 2019. After disruptions in recent years due to COVID-19, Morton Trio kicked off their 2024 performance season stronger than ever, with collaborations with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO) colleagues (including ANAM alum Jeremy Garside, CSO Associate Principal Cello) to perform sextets by Dohnányi and Penderecki.
Morton Trio are already working on their upcoming performances, which will include touring the album across the country, further performance opportunities overseas, as well as new partnerships with composers and performers back home for their Christchurch-based concerts in 2025.
The three musicians lead busy lives but maintain that life-balance is important. The Mortons are both musicians with CSO (Arna as Principal Second Violin) and teach instrumental music at their studio at The Piano in Christchurch. When not teaching or performing, Alex can be found hiking the Canterbury hills or helping Arna with her renovation projects. “I run a DIY Home Renovation Instagram channel on the side,” Arna explains. “We hope to finish our first full kitchen build by September!” Liam has just returned from further study with Aleck Karis in the US on a coveted Fulbright Scholarship, and now splits his time rehearsing and coordinating performances between Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia.
But the Trio have firmly established themselves on the Aotearoa chamber music scene, and are proud to present performances expanding the horn trio repertoire in their home country. This album celebrates this and promises to be the start of something bigger.
To purchase Morton Trio’s debut album, and for more information about their upcoming performances, visit mortontrio.com
Words by Laura Panther (Senior Alumni Coordinator)
Image credits: Arna Morton and Erica McQueen