The house lights go down. A hush falls over the audience. Pianist Holly Bean takes her place on the grand Missouri Theatre stage, silently sitting at her instrument. Then, rather abruptly, she reaches into the piano and gives the strings a large pluck. 

Now with the audience’s attention, Bean begins the performance with an upbeat piano solo, walk-up music for the remaining members of Empire Wild — cellists Ken Kubota and Mitch Lyon. They take their instruments and join Bean, smoothly kicking off the concert.

Empire Wild is an NYC-based trio of musicians whose performances traverse a variety of genres, styles and techniques. The band’s concert in downtown Columbia on Feb. 7 featured an eclectic set list, including classical repertoire, jazz, originals and more. 

The band performed several classic tunes like “Over the Rainbow” and “Moon River”,adding their own unique musical twists to make them sound fresh. They also played works by J.S. Bach and Claude Debussy as a nod to their classical roots. Sprinkled throughout the program were a couple songs from their debut EP “Paper Seasons.” — understated yet catchy originals that left listeners tapping their toes and humming along. 

Each musician demonstrated mastery over their instrument, which is no surprise considering their caliber. The two cellists, Kubota and Lyon, studied at The Juilliard School in New York, while the pianist, Bean, studied under world-renowned classical and jazz pianists such as Donald Brown and Chih-Long Hu.

Although primarily a pianist, Bean’s vocals were absolutely stunning. Exhibiting immense control over her instrument, her voice scratches the brain in the most satisfying way. Lyon’s beautiful, velvety legato is warm and comforting, while Kubota’s magical ability to transform the sound of his instrument from that of a cello to a guitar to percussion is thoroughly captivating. Put all together, Empire Wild provides a sonically rich and vibrant listening experience.

Even from the balcony of the Missouri Theatre, Empire Wild’s performance was an intimate one. It felt like you were watching three friends jam out and enjoy each other’s company, offering a precious sense of authenticity in the performance. The trio is naturally unique, allowing their passion and creativity to speak for itself rather than relying on excessive theatrics or gimmicks to stand out. Ultimately, music is about creative and emotional expression, and Empire Wild achieves this quite successfully. 

“Music creates an empathetic moment for people to share with others,” said Kubota between songs. “It reminds us that we’re not alone in this human experience.”

Edited by Egan Ward | eward@themaneater.com 

Copyedited by Shirin Rekabdar-Xavier and Grace Knight