Violinist Jessica Tong, cellist Ashley Bathgate and violist Ken Hamao present Bach’s seminal work, Goldberg Variations, arranged by Dmitry Sitkovetsky for string trio.

Bach’s Goldberg Variations, originally written for keyboard, take on a remarkable new character when arranged for string trio. Dividing Bach’s intricate lines among violin, viola, and cello brings the music’s counterpoint into vivid relief: voices that intertwine on a single keyboard become a conversation between three distinct instruments, each with its own color, weight, and personality.

At the heart of the work is a simple, graceful Aria, followed by thirty variations of extraordinary variety—from intimate and lyrical passages to brilliant displays of virtuosity and rhythmic energy. In a string trio arrangement, the Goldberg Variations can feel at once more conversational and more human, revealing the warmth and expressive depth within Bach’s astonishingly precise musical architecture.