Trio Azura was founded in 2022 at the Colburn Conservatory of Music in Los Angeles, California. The ensemble consists of Canadian violinist Duncan McDougall, South Korean cellist Yejin Hong, and Chinese pianist Yanfeng (Tony) Bai. Beginning in August 2025, they will be the Ensemble in Residence and Colburn Artists at the Colburn School, studying under esteemed faculty members Jonathan Brown, Fabio Bidini, Martin Beaver, and Clive Greensmith.
The Trio won the Grand Prize and Gold Medal at the 51st Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. In addition, they received the Lift Every Voice Prize for the best performance of a work by an underrepresented composer, as well as the Horszowski Trio Prize. They are also prize winners at the Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China. In 2023, Trio Azura took part in the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy, where they were awarded the “Rotary Club Siena” prize and performed in recital with renowned cellist Clive Greensmith. They have participated in masterclasses with internationally acclaimed artists, such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Orion Weiss, Pedja Mužijević, Arnaud Sussman, Nicholas Tzavaras, and the Horszowski Trio.
During the 2024-25 season, Trio Azura completed their Fischoff Double Gold Tour across the US Midwest, where they gave workshops and masterclasses for over 500 middle school and high school students in Indiana and Michigan. They also undertook a week-long residency at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, which was a unique opportunity for cultural exchange with Arabic poets. Other season highlights included appearances at the Chamber Music American National conference, La Jolla Music Society, The Music Guild, Friends of Chamber Music of Troy, New York, a full Baroque recital at the Boston Court in Pasadena, Emerging Artists at the Mimir Festival in Fort Worth, and a recital tour at the Emilia Romagna Festival in Italy.
Trio Azura’s upcoming engagements in 2025-2026 season include appearances at the Brisbane Festival in Australia, Nevada Chamber Music Festival, South Bay Chamber Music Society, Pelican Chamber Concerts, and the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel in Belgium.
Meet The Azures
Duncan McDougall, violin
Duncan McDougall is a Canadian violinist pursuing his undergraduate degree with Martin Beaver at the Colburn Conservatory of Music. Duncan has appeared with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, among others.
Duncan was chosen by CBC Music as one of Canada’s top 30 classical musicians under the age of 30, and was a Grand Prize winner of the Canadian Music Competition. He was honored to receive the National Gold Medal for violin performance and violin pedagogy from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.
A passionate chamber musician, Duncan is a member of Trio Azura, who won the Grand Prize, Gold Medal, Lift Every Voice Prize, and Horszowksi Trio Prize at the 51st Fischoff Competition. He has collaborated with acclaimed artists Clive Greensmith, Tatjana Masurenko, Teng Li, Jonathan Crow, Tessa Lark, and Yehonatan Berrick. In 2023 Duncan completed a European chamber music tour with pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet and faculty of the Colburn School. He plays on a 1900 Scarampella violin on generous loan from the Colburn Collection.
Yejin Hong, Cello
Born in South Korea, Yejin pursued her Bachelor’s degree at New England Conservatory, where she received the full scholarship, as a student of Laurence Lesser. She has completed her Master’s degree at Colburn Conservatory of music and she is pursuing her Artistic Diploma degree as a student of Clive Greensmith.
As a experienced chamber musician, she is now a member of Trio Azura, in 2024 they won the Grand Prize, Gold Medal, Lift Every Voice Prize, and Horszowksi Trio Prize at the 51st Fischoff Competition.
Other notable appearances include a performance with the Yewon Arts School in Berlin, invited by the Berlin Philharmonic. She has also performed at such venues as Lincoln Center, Weil recital hall at Carnegie in New York, and Jordan Hall in Boston. In 2019, she attended Fontainebleau School of Music in France where she worked with Gary Hoffman and Philippe Muller and she received numerous prizes for Chamber Music and Contemporary Music.
Yanfeng (Tony) Bai, Piano
Pianist Yanfeng (Tony) Bai, is an international prizewinner, recently winning the 3rd prize and audience award in the Olga Kern International Piano Competition, 1st prize at the China Shenzhen International Piano Concerto Competition, 3rd Prize of the Gotrian International piano competition in Germany and the 1st prize twice at the Concerto Competition of the Morningside Music Bridge. The Strings Magazine mentioned his performance as “gorgeous playing.” He was also awarded 1st prize in the China Central Television Piano Competition, 1st prize and Grand prize of “KADANZA CUP” national piano competition, and was a prize winner of the International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians.
Mr.Bai is also accomplished in Chamber Music, as a former member of the MOCC piano quintet, they won the 1st prize of the China Hummingbird Music Award Chamber Music Competition. Now he is a founding member of the Trio Azura and in 2024 they just won the Grand Prize, Gold Medal, Lift Every Voice Prize, and Horszowksi Trio Prize at the 51st Fischoff Competition.
He has performed with numerous orchestras, including Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, China Philharmonic Orchestra and the New Mexico Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also collaborated with leading conductors, including James Conlon, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Peter Bay, Lorenzo Passerini and Daye Lin among others. He has given multiple recitals in US, Italy and China.
Mr.Bai is a Guest Artist of Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra, and a Yangtze River Piano Artist. He is currently an Artist Diploma of Music candidate at the Colburn School, where he studies with Fabio Bidini. Previously he graduated from the Colburn school as Masters and Bachelor of music, and the middle school attached to the China Central Conservatory of Music. Previous teachers include Jin Zhang, who he studied with in China before coming to Los Angeles.