Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio

The Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio was established in 1984, and is dedicated to the performance of chamber music from the Americas, and the Pacific Rim. The Trio, whose members are all on the Mills faculty, has commissioned works from such noted composers as John Harbison, Lou Harrison, Paul Dresher, Somei Satoh, Gordon Mumma, David Rosenboom and Peter Garland, and has received critical acclaim throughout the United States for fine performances and unique programming. The Trio has toured with the program "Three Generations of American Music," performing at the Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.), Festival of New American Music, Lively Arts at Stanford, U.C.L.A. Center for the Performing Arts, Chamber Music West (San Francisco), Cal-Performances, WNYC, and Monday Evening Concerts in Los Angeles. The New York Times gave high praise to a new CD by Lou Harrison on New Albion Records which includes "Varied Trio" performed by the Abel-Steinberg-Winant Trio.

David Abel made his orchestral debut at the age of 14 with the San Francisco Symphony and has since appeared with major orchestras throughout the United States. A student of the Alma Trio in chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Mr. Abel played his first New York recital at 18 and, following that debut, concertized in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Latin America. He was a winner of the Leventritt International Violin Competition in 1964 and toured Europe under the auspices of the Martha Baird Rockefeller Foundation. The Francesco Chamber Trio with Mr. Abel as violinist won the 1974 Naumberg Chamber Music Award. Mr. Abel is a noted participant in the Crown Chamber Players at the University of California at Santa Cruz, the Carmel Bach Festival and the Mozart Festival in San Luis Obispo. Currently artist-in-residence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Mr. Abel has also taught at San Jose State University, Grinnell College, and Stanford University. As co-founder of the Mills Chamber Ensemble, he frequently appears in duo recitals with pianist Julie Steinberg.

Pianist Julie Steinberg is an active performer both as a soloist and chamber musician. She has performed extensively in recital and has been soloist with the Oakland Symphony Sound Spectrum, San Francisco Symphony Mostly Mozart Festival and Berkeley Symphony. She participates in the Chamber Music West Festival in San Francisco, and, as assisting artist, she has performed in master classes with Jean-Pierre Rampal and Mstislav Rostropovich. Co-founder of the Mills Chamber Ensemble with David Abel, they have also formed the Abel-Steinberg Duo , performing throughout California and in Hong Kong. They have recorded two Sonata programs on the Wilson Audio label. In the Bay Area, Ms. Steinberg has performed with the Oakland Ballet Orchestra, Oakland Symphony, San Francisco Contemporary Players, and San Francisco Symphony. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree from Stanford University with a specialty in Twentieth Century music.

William Winant received degrees from York University and Mills College. Called "one of the best avant-garde percussionists working today" by the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Winant has devoted his career to contemporary classical and improvised music, performing throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East. Composers who have written pieces for him include Gordon Mumma, Alvin Lucier, Lou Harrison, John Cage, John Zorn, David Rosenboom, Chris Brown, Charles Boone, and Larry Polansky, and Winant has performed and toured with Anthony Braxton, Iannis Xenakis, Steve Reich and Musicians, the Kronos Quartet, John Zorn, and Oingo Boingo. Currently principal percussionist with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, Winant was principal with The Cabrillo Music Festival (1984-93) and the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, and he has appeared with the L. A. Philharmonic directed by Pierre Boulez, and the San Francisco Symphony and Ballet Orchestras. Recently Winant has recorded with the rock band Mr. Bungle , as well as Caroliner and The Idiot Flesh, and his recording of Lou Harrison's La Koro Sutro (New Albion NA 015) was the New York Times critics' choice for best contemporary music recording of 1988. He is also featured on the soundtrack for the movie "Batman Returns" on Warner Brothers records and tapes. Winant is a visiting Lecturer in Music at the University of California at Santa Cruz, and is on the instrumental faculty of the University of California at Berkeley.