They look like cover girls.

        But the members of the Eroica Trio — pianist Erika Nickrenz, violinist Adela Pena and cellist Sara Sant'Ambrogio — are top-notch musicians who walked away with the Naumburg Award in 1991, and whose recordings for Angel/EMI have received multiple Grammy nominations.

the Eroica Trio: Erika Nickrenz, Sara Sant'Ambrogio and Adela Pena. | ZOOM |

        The Eroica Trio visits the Cincinnati Chamber Music Society at 8 p.m. Tuesday in Corbett Auditorium (tickets: 533-0451 or 556-4183). We spoke with Ms. Pena.

        Question: Are there many touring piano trios?

        Answer: It's becoming more popular, and as respected as the string quartet. The preformed piano trio in the past was a rarity because three soloists would just come together and read through repertoire.

        Q: Are there historical trios that you revere?

A: We've all just melted over the Stern-Rose-Istomin Trio — their recordings of Schubert. And the Beaux Arts Trio set the standard in the last century.

        Q: How did you come together?

        A: We formed as students at Juilliard in 1986. We grew up together; Erika and I had babies at the same time. It's remarkable, the parallel lives we've led.

        Q: Was your glam look planned?

        A: Not at all (laughs). If you saw our videos from 1986, we were just like little girls. As we grew up, we found our own style.

        Q: How did designer Carmen Marc Valvo come to provide your gowns?

        A: He saw us perform, and he really wanted to dress us. There are samples lining the offices, and we try on gowns and get to wear them.

        Q: Your program is intriguing (Bach, Piazzolla and Schubert). What is your philosophy?

        A: We commission a lot of new pieces. In November, we premiered a new Triple Concerto with the St. Louis Symphony by Kevin Kaska, a young American composer.

        At the same time, we try to expand the repertoire and arrange things we think would be wonderful in piano trio. The Bach Chaconne that we're playing in Cincinnati was originally for solo violin.

        We also play the meat-and-potatoes repertoire. Our all-Brahms CD will be released Jan. 29.

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