Viva Trio is Renata Green, flute, Beth Blackerby, violin, and Tony Morris, guitar.
Formed in 2002 as the collaborative chamber music project of Renata Green and Tony Morris, Viva Trio's debut year included a concert film taping at the Texas Governor's Mansion, a performance at the White House in Washington, D.C. (the first Austin classical musicians to perform there), and a personal invitation by Acting Director of the National Endowment for the Arts Dr. Eileen Mason to perform at the NEA's National 2003 Grant Awards. Since then, Viva Trio has performed throughout the US and returned to the White House for their second and third (2004), (2005) performances. Their concerts have been broadcast throughout the US on NPR stations nationwide, and internationally via WorldSpace Satellite Radio.
Renata Green, flute, has performed multiple times at the White House in Washington, D.C (2002), (2004), (2005), and concertized throughout North America. Her performances are regularly broadcast through the United States on National Public Radio member stations, and her 2002 concert at the TX Governor's Mansion was filmed for public television. A champion of new music, prominent composers have dedicated works to her, including Argentine composer Jorge Morel co-dedicated his “Rapsodia Latina†for flute, guitar, and cello in 2001. She began her musical training at an early age with Megan Meisenbach, and also studied with Baroque flute specialist Dr. Marcus McGuff, and jazz flutist John Mills.
Beth Blackerby, violin, is a rare virtuoso who equally adept as both a soloist and chamber player, and is astonishingly versatile at a wide variety of music, from Early and Baroque music to modern works. She performs with a beautiful and rich tone on her ultra-rare 1600's Amati violin.She is a member of the Austin Lyric Opera and plays with the Austin Symphony, Chamber Soloists, and is Concertmaster of the A Mozart Fest Orchestra. Beth taught at Texas Lutheran University and was Concertmaster and soloist with the Mid-Texas Symphony. For many years Beth performed with the Pro-arte Chamber Orchestra in Santa Fe, New Mexico. After receiving her Masters Degree from the University of Wisconsin, Beth traveled in Europe giving several performances in Germany and Switzerland, then settling in Barcelona for a two year position with the Opera Orchestra of the Gran Teatre Del Liceu.
Tony Morris is heard each week by public radio listeners on over 200 stations across the USA, and world-wide in over 130 nations across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Western Europe via WorldSpace Satellite Radio's Maestro channel as the host of the Classical Guitar Alive! program. He has performed at the White House (2002), (2004), (2005), and throughout the US. Composers including Jorge Morel (Argentina), Kaare Norge (Denmark), and Russell Sarre (Australia) have dedicated works to him, and he has also premiered lost works by important composers of the past, including Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco’s “Aria†for oboe, guitar, and cello, as well as Les Six composer Germaine Tailleferre’s “Guitare†for solo guitar. In Fall of 2006, he joined the music faculty of Texas Lutheran University.
In addition to their concert and film work, Viva Trio's performance schedule regularly includes humanitarian work through Classical Guitar Alive's outreach program, and perform for disadvantaged audiences in challenging environments, including homeless shelters, children's shelters, hospitals, hospices.
Viva has longtime collaborations, including percussionist James Fenner and cellist Christopher Haritatos. James Fenner toured the world and performed sold-out stadium concerts in the late 1970s-early 1980s with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Christopher Cross. James Fenner can also be seen performing in the Christopher Cross video "Arthur’s Theme", which won an Academy Award for Best Song. Equally sought-after as a studio musician, James Fenner also performed on electric guitarist Eric Johnson's CD "Ah Via Musicom", which won a Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental. James Fenner has performed three times at the White House (2002, 2004, 2005) with Tony Morris and Renata Green. In 2007, James Fenner fulfilled a lifelong dream when he toured with legendary Soul singer Aretha Franklin. James Fenner began performing with Viva in 2002, and continues to this day.
Cellist Christopher Haritatos is equally at home on both Baroque cello, viola da gamba, and modern cello. He performs and records with the celebrated Early music group Tafelmusik, and also Apollo’s Fire. He is professor of cello at Southwest Texas State University. Christopher Haritatos has performed with Viva since 2004.
