Trio Hélios

Trio Hélios are playing St. Andrew's United Church on Saturday 31 October, a chamber music concert that brings a French piano trio to Halifax. The ensemble is made up of cellist Raphaël Jouan, pianist Alexis Gournel, and violinist Luka Ispir. It's a standard piano trio line-up — violin, cello, and piano — and they're coming over from France.

They describe their own style as one marked by refinement, intensity and a strong commitment to the piano trio repertoire. That last bit is the key: they aren't a crossover act or a pop-leaning group; they work within the classical tradition of the piano trio, and they've built their name around it. The venues they've played back home and across Europe reflect that, with the Philharmonie de Paris, Salle Cortot, Wigmore Hall, the Lyon Opera House and Phoenix Hall all on their list. If you're into chamber music, those are the kinds of stages where this kind of playing usually lands.

On the night, the three of them — Jouan, Gournel and Ispir — will be the only ones on stage. The concert runs from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at St. Andrew's United Church, 6036 Coburg Rd, Halifax, NS B3H 1Y9.