About Us
A Trio Forged In Friendship
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Our Story
The name Trio Aureum draws inspiration from the meanings associated with each of its members’ names. Aureum, the Latin word for “golden,” represents warmth, brilliance, and a sense of timeless elegance, while also reflecting the group’s shared connection to the academic and musical world. The name further brings together the ideas suggested by Chloe’s name, associated with blooming and new growth, and Helen’s name, traditionally connected with light and radiance. Together, these meanings evoke an image of light, growth, and golden brilliance—reflecting the trio’s musical identity, its members’ individual qualities, and their shared aspiration to create performances that are vibrant, refined, and enduring.
Meet The Team
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Chloe Chung
Pianist
Classical pianist Chloe Chung, currently based in New York, maintains a dynamic career spanning performance and education across the United States. Currently a Doctor of Musical Arts Candidate in Piano Performance at State University of New York at Stony Brook, she studies with renowned pianist Gilbert Kalish on a full scholarship, and works closely with the Emerson String Quartet for chamber music. As a dedicated educator, she serves as an undergraduate instructor at SUNY, teaching performance, chamber music, and musicianship. Her recent highlights include leading a masterclass for the undergraduate piano department, coaching collegiate chamber ensembles, and performing as a guest artist at the Rite of Spring Music Festival in New York.
Awarded J Spanier Classical Piano Fellowship and Jacobs Fellowship, Chung earned her Master of Music degree from the Jacobs School of Music Indiana University, where she studied with Arnaldo Cohen and served as a pre-college faculty member. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Chung began her study in the HKAPA Junior Music program with Karen Sung, and soon holds a
Bachelor of Music degree from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts upon graduation from the Diocesan Girls’ School, under the tutelage of Eleanor Wong, with the support of Chan Ho Choi Enchanting Music Scholarship and Cecil Leong Scholarship.
A bronze medalist of the 20th International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia, winner of the 18th Hong Kong — Asia Piano Open Competition, as well as the runner-up of the 81st Steinway & Sons International Piano Competition, Chung has appeared in prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York), Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Staller Center for the Arts (New York),Pyatt Hall (Vancouver), Auer Hall (Indiana) and Shenzhen Concert Hall. Her performances have taken her internationally to Vienna, Salzburg, New York City, North Carolina, Indianapolis, Vancouver, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Chung is also an active participant in music festivals in Europe and United Stated, where she has
worked with distinguished pianists including Arie Vardi, Jerome Lowenthal, Julian Martin, Douglas Humpherys, Boris Slutsky, Arthur Greene, Anna Malikova, Markus Schirmer, and Peter Lang.
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Kin Chen
Cellist
Hong Kong born cellist Kin Chen is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music degree at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studies with Professor Peter Stumpf. Alongside his doctoral studies, he maintains an active career with a particular focus on chamber music and collaborative performance.
Chen is a frequent collaborator with the Musicus Society in Hong Kong, founded by cellist Trey Lee, and serves as the principal cellist of WA Sinfonietta, founded by clarinetist Charles Neidich. He has also performed with the Nisaika Quartet. His chamber and orchestral work has brought him into collaboration with distinguished conductors, including Leonard Slatkin, Mei-Ann Chen, Elim Chan, and Miguel Harth-Bedoya.
His performances have graced esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall, Gilles-Lefebvre Concert Hall at Orford Musique, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Hong Kong City Hall, and Auer Hall at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Additionally, his playing can be heard on recordings from the Signum label. He has participated in masterclasses with prominent musicians including Alan Harris, Yegor Dyachkov, and Richard Bamping.
Chen earned his Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music, studying with David Geber and Julia Lichten, and completed his undergraduate studies in Hong Kong under Ray Wang. His chamber music mentors have included David Finckel, Phillip Setzer, Eugene Drucker, Nicholas Mann, Todd Phillips Mark Holloway, Brandon Vamos, and Charles Neidich.
Helen Yu
Violinist
Helen is an incoming doctoral student in the highly selective Doctor of Musical Arts program at the New England Conservatory of Music, where she continues her violin performance studies with Professor Donald Weilerstein — her teacher for the past four years during her Master’s and Graduate Diploma degrees — while also receiving new guidance from Professor Kristopher Tong, the co-chair of strings at the conservatory. Helen has been a recipient of the Dean’s Scholarship throughout her years at NEC. She was also a full scholarship recipient of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund.
Recently, she has frequently been invited to freelance as a first violin section player with the Hong Kong Philharmonic whenever she is in town. She also performs with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as a section first violinist whenever opportunities arise. Helen has served as concertmaster and principal second in highly selective music festivals and conservatory orchestras, including Tanglewood, Curtis Summerfest, NEC Chamber Orchestra, NEC Philharmonia, and the HKAPA Academy Orchestra. She once won a full scholarship to Aspen with the support of the Lady Fung Scholarship from the Asian Cultural Council. She actively pursues professional orchestra auditions while studying; she has been a semifinalist for the New York Philharmonic (section violin) and the Houston Symphony (Principal Second).
Helen loves chamber music. Her piano trio at NEC won the Honors Chamber Music Competition and performed a full-length recital in Jordan Hall during her first year. She has also participated in high-level chamber music festivals and organizations: she was a Young Artist Fellow at the Perlman Music Program chamber music workshop, a Chamber Seminar Fellow at the Heifetz International Music Institute, and an Emerging Artist at the Mimir Chamber Music Festival as a guest member of the Cong Quartet, with which she toured France. She also tours and performs with the Musicus Society whenever opportunities arise.
She has won several solo competitions in the past, including the HKAPA Concerto Competition, performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto with the Academy Orchestra, and winning the Tokyo International Youth Music Competition.
Helen started studying music at the age of three with piano group lessons at the Tom Lee Music Academy under Serina Tse. She then began violin group lessons at age five at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with Monica Chu. She became a junior and later a senior student at HKAPA, progressing from weekend lessons to earning her Bachelor’s degree there, where she studied intensively for over twelve years with Professor Michael Ma. She was a full scholarship recipient of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarship for undergraduates.
Born and raised in Hong Kong, she is also proud to be a graduate of St. Paul’s Co-educational College, where she completed the International Baccalaureate program with high scores, received a music talent scholarship, and benefited from the mentorship of the school’s music director at the time, renowned solo pianist Mr. Warren Lee.