This unique classical ensemble known as the Ekaterinburg Classical Trio, aka the Kat Trio, was born in the summer of 1998 in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Vasil Galiulin, Victoria Gorbich, and Vladislav Gorbich, all graduates of the Ural State Conservatory, decided to take their love of music and their violin-clarinet-piano arrangements to festivals and concert venues throughout the Urals. They spent much of that summer playing to enthusiastic audiences in town halls and indoor stages.
The audience feedback was encouraging, even inspiring, all the while reinforcing the overpowering feeling that their calling was to take their new impressions of classical music and their heartfelt performances to a much greater audience. Their first US tour in the spring of 2000 was a major success and these world class players return as often as possible to play for their appreciative American audiences.
On the Kat Trio’s 2006 Tour of the US, violinist Victoria Gorbich and clarinetist Vladislav Gorbich were joined by pianist Viatcheslav Ovchinnikov. Like Victoria and Vlad, Viatcheslav (nickname: Slava) is a graduate of Ural State Conservatory in Ekaterinburg.
During their work on doctorates at Arizona State University, Victoria and Vladislav Gorbich were joined by pianist Mauricio Arias, from Bogata, Columbia, a graduate of Fundacion Universitaria Juan N. Corpas, for two tours.
Victoria and Vladislav were touring during the summer of 2010 with Patrick Christians, a graduate of Michigan State University, as guest pianist.
During 2011-2012, the Kat Trio was touring as artists-in-residence with Wisconsin Public Radio and the Chazen Museum of Art. For that tour Victoria and Vladislav were joined by pianist Julie Page, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison.
Pianist Melody Ng was a member of the trio from October 2012 till June 2013. She received her doctoral degree at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and joined the music faculty of the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
During the summer of 2013 Heidi Wiskur was a guest pianist with the group. She continues to collaborate with Victoria and Vladislav in 2013 and 2014.
Justin Snyder has been performing with Vladislav and Victoria since fall of 2013. Justin moved to Michigan in early summer of 2014.
Today “The Kat Trio” is Victoria Gorbich, Vladislav Gorbich and pianist Joseph Ross. They are on the road presenting the trio’s unique Russian arrangements and transcriptions of timeless melodies. The Trio’s concerts feature classical works, well-known inspirational songs, and even American pop standards, including Scott Joplin’s rags.
