Julia Bruskin sat down with her cello. She made a gentle shave across the strings with her bow, letting the hum disperse throughout McCain auditorium.

Satisfied at the sound, she nodded approval at the violinist to her right — her sister, Emily Bruskin. Together, with pianist Donna Kwong, all three musicians took a deep breath, and together began to play the first notes of Joseph Hadyn's "Trio in G major."

The three women form the Claremont Trio and performed Friday night to a crowd of about 250 students and local residents.

"Organizing a performance is like planning a meal," said Julia Bruskin. "You don't want to have the same things; you want a variety of ingredients."

Emily and Julia Bruskin met Donna Kwong as students at the Juilliard School of Music. They performed together at the Young Concert Artists' International Auditions in 1999 and subsequently formed a group. They named themselves after Claremont Avenue, the New York City street on which Juilliard was built.

The Claremont Trio is known for combining passion and energy with technical prowess in its performances. Friday, Emily swayed back and forth with each stroke of her bow, reminiscent of a leaf tossing in the wind. Julia smiled often and deeply, with the kind of smile one might make after taking a cake out of the oven.

"There was a certain amount of showmanship performed with the flourishes and some of the facial expressions," said Michael Donnelly, associate professsor of English. "I'm not sure if some of the purists like that, but the music is easier to relate to when you see that the performers aren't blocks of ice."

In all, the women performed four songs. They led off with Haydn's trio, then played "Café Music" by Paul Schoenfield. Composed in the mid-1980s, the Schoenfield selection showcased the Trio's repertoire of songs, which includes both older and contemporary classical music. After an intermission, the group played Antonín Dvorák's
"Trio in F minor." As an encore, they performed "Gallop," the fifth movement of George Bizet's composition, "Children's Game."

"It pulled me in," said Chelsey McAllister, senior in English. "I really liked the more emotional movements, like the second movement of the Café Music and the Dvorák."

Allan Saylor, junior in management, said he also enjoyed the second piece, "Café Music," and said the trio was "definitely virtuosos."

Julia said the Café piece is lively and fun to play. By contrast, the Dvorák is like a main course, she said, expressing a wide range of emotions. She had hoped the audience heard and felt that range, too, she said.

The Claremont Trio has released two albums. A third one will be available later this month, as the ladies celebrate their tenth anniversary performing together.

"They're world-class," said Todd Holmberg, executive director of McCain Auditorium. "They have a bright future ahead of them."