Bedford Trio! Founded in 2016 by award-winning instrumentalist Alessia Disimino (violin), Andrew Ascenzo (cello), and Jialiang Zhu (piano), the Bedford Trio is the inaugural piano trio for the Irene R. Miller Piano Trio Residency at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music. Since 2020, the Trio has hosted and adjudicated the first editions of the University of Toronto Piano Trio Composition Competition and
gave premieres of the winning pieces as part of the Faculty’s New Music Festival. The Bedford Trio has performed in Canada, the United States, and Europe, and virtually in Italy and China: they were finalists in the 2018 Anton Rubinstein International Chamber Music in Germany and semi-finalists in the 2019 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the US, and participated in the Career Development Residency at Ottawa Chamberfest under the mentorship of Gryphon Trio. 

The Bedford Trio is committed to commissioning and championing Canadian compositions by both established and emerging composers. Their recital seasons regularly highlight the group’s commitment to the piano trio canon alongside their devotion to collaboration: past concerts include music of cinematic classics, chamber masterpieces including with guest artists, and their highly acclaimed concert series IMMERSED, an immense collaborative project featuring compositions by new-generation Canadian composers and immersive artwork. Since 2018, the Trio has been working with grade 11 composition, visual arts, and dance students at Earl Haig Secondary School, workshopping their compositions throughout the academic year and performing select works in the Trio’s recital series. The Bedford Trio is a grateful recipient of support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council. The Trio is dedicated to bringing live music performances to a diverse audience and has given recitals in senior residences, community centers, hospices, and hospitals across Ontario. Bedford Trio’s first live-concert digital album “Silver Screen” is available on Spotify, Youtube, and all streaming platforms, showcasing the music of cinematic classics for piano trio.