March 20, 2026

Concordia String Trio to perform March 23

Leslie Perna, Karen Becker and Marcia Henry Liebenow, who make up the Concordia String Trio.

Leslie Perna (from left), Karen Becker and Marcia Henry Liebenow make up the Concordia String Trio.

The Concordia String Trio will perform at 7:30 p.m. March 23 in Kimball Recital Hall for a free public concert.

The concert will also be live webcast. Go online the day of the concert for the link.

The Concordia String Trio includes Glenn Korff School of Music professor of cello Karen Becker, Marcia Henry Liebenow, who is concertmaster of the Peoria Symphony and violin professor at Bradley University and Leslie Perna, who is professor emeritus of viola at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

The program includes Robert Muczynski’s “Trio for Violin, Viola and Violoncello, op. 31,” Gordon Jacob’s “Six Shakespearian Sketches for String Trio” and Julius Zellner’s “Trio in c minor for Violin, Viola and Violoncellor, op. 36.” 

The Concordia String Trio explores and expands the eclectic repertoire of an under-appreciated genre—the string trio. This versatile ensemble has built a reputation for its exciting performances and innovative programs, juxtaposing pieces from the standard string trio repertoire with new compositions and little-known works of great composers. 

Formed in 1999, the Trio has performed recitals, educational programs and given lecture/demonstrations throughout the United States. WTVP public television featured its members in a program titled “Marcia and Friends” as part of the Peoria Symphony’s Sound Bites series. In 2022, they performed concerts and gave the world premiere of Andrew List’s “Beyond the Celestial Horizon for String Trio” (written for the CST) in Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska and Illinois. 

The Concordia String Trio has also been the resident ensemble at the Warebrook Contemporary Music Festival in Vermont and recorded a Capstone album titled “90’s Timeflow – Chamber Music of Alan Schmitz.” In addition, the Concordia String Trio has recorded three albums on the Centaur Label: “Viennese String Trios,” (2017), “American Vistas,” (2018), and its most recent album, “From The Heart of Ra” released in 2022, which features two pieces written for them by List.