Musco Center presents:
Darshan Trio

Wednesday, February 18, 2026 | 7:30 p.m.

With Art of the Hymn, the Darshan Trio—violinist Vijay Gupta, cellist Yoshika Masuda, and pianist Dominic Cheli—brings a fresh perspective to the piano trio. As a “laboratory for creative experimentation,” their uniquely collaborative approach is grounded in the belief that working with others changes how we see ourselves. Gupta, a MacArthur Fellow and founder of Street Symphony, is known for his visionary violin playing and leadership in music-driven community engagement. Masuda, a celebrated cellist and educator who serves as Director of String Studies at Chapman University, is praised for his artistry and innovative approach. Cheli, an inspired keyboardist and educator, brings spontaneity and vision to each performance.

‘Prosody’ is the idea of bringing alive a melody within an audience member. All three composers of this program embedded hymns in their music - which were, at the time, beloved and communal tunes. Ives’ jaunty, haunting piano trio embeds “Rock of Ages” and folk songs like “Sailor’s Hornpipe”, while Bach’s monumental Chaconne - newly arranged by Darshan’s pianist Dominic Cheli - embeds Lutheran hymns from Cantatas and Passions. Lastly, Mendelssohn’s towering Opus 66 trio quotes Bach’s own “Gelobet” from Cantata BWV 129.

PROGRAM

Charles Ives | Trio (23’)

J.S. Bach | Chaconne arr. D. Cheli (17’) premiere

Felix Mendelssohn | Trio No.2 in C minor (30’)

This performance is generously supported by Daniel Temianka and Zeinab Dabbah.