An Interview With The Modern Classical Crossover Trio, GENTRI!

Photo Credit- Doug Carter

Meet the modern classical crossover trio, GENTRI. In February, they released their newest studio album, “Rise.”

Their 2015 debut EP hit #2 on both the Billboard Classical Crossover Chart and the Classical Chart and was in the Top 10 for 10 weeks.

Learn more about Gentri in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! So, where were some of the highlights of 2015 for the trio? What are you most excited for this year?

Highlights for 2015 included:

• Releasing two albums, our debut EP hitting No. 2 on two different Billboard charts, our Christmas EP hitting No. 1 on the Hot Singles chart.

• Sharing the stage with Idina Menzel (star of Wicked and Disney’s Frozen), Alfie Boe (recently starred as Jean Val Jean on Broadway production of Les Mis), and Journey.

• Performing our Patriotic Medley(that received hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube) in front of 45K+ at Stadium of Fire during the fireworks finale

• Co-starring in a 60-minute Christmas concert special with AGT and YouTube superstar, Lexi Walker

• We recently released our first full-length album, Rise, which hit No. 3 on two billboard charts. We look forward to touring and performing music from this album as well as producing many music videos from the new album.

• We have a number of shows lined up all across the state and around the country with various orchestras including a pending performance at Carnegie Hall in December.

• We also look forward to releasing our full length Christmas album this fall.

You recently released your newest studio album, “Rise”. How is this music different or similar to anything else you’ve put out?

The album features 8 original songs and 2 covers. While our debut EP gave listeners a taste of what to expect from GENTRI, “Rise” really showcases our sound in a way that we’ve always wanted it to be represented. The messages of the songs speak to living life more fully and loving more deeply, something that we all try to do on a daily basis.

What was the inspiration for your album’s lead single, “Soldier”?

One of the things we take pride in is that fact that we’re just normal guys doing what we love. Yes, we have a background in and a love and passion for music, but we’re more than just musicians. We’re husbands, fathers, brothers, and friends. Like everyone else in this world, we’re each fighting battles unique to us, and we each possess the abilities to overcome and rise above any challenges placed in our path. We are inspired by everyday people who have dug deep and found their fight, fighting for things that they care most about – family, relationships, and dreams.

How did you go about selecting which covers to put on “Rise”? Are there any that didn’t make it that you really liked? Do you think they will go on a future collection that you release?

We wanted to select covers that sounded familiar whether you had heard them or not, but that we could still put our own sound into. We wanted to introduce musical elements into the covers that enabled them to feel both familiar, but also timeless.

What was it like performing with Alfie Boe and Idina Menzel?

Performing with Alfie Boe and opening for Idina was amazing. It was a dream come true for each of us. Alfie Boe has golden vocal chords and its an experience we won’t soon forget. Idina was absolutely incredible as well.

And what was it like opening for Journey at the July 4^th event, Stadium of Fire?

Participating in the “Stadium of Fire” July 4th Celebration in front of 45,000 people was insane! The energy in that stadium was tangible and it felt like we were performing in our own living rooms. To sing and pay special tribute to our beautiful country before Journey came on stage was an absolute thrill. We hope to have similar opportunities present themselves in the future. GENTRI really thrives off of that energy. We love it.

How did your video for “Dare” come together? An 8 year-old amputee is featured in it learning to dance! How did that all come together for it? 

Co-writing “Dare” was therapeutic to say the least, as it allowed each of us a creative outlet to tell a piece of our own personal story. The icing on the cake was having the opportunity to feature someone who has clearly faced challenges and received her own “battle scars” in life, but wasn’t allowing them to slow her down or define her. We came across Alissa when a video of her dancing at a dance recital went viral. We knew that she needed to be the face of our “ are to Dream” story. Shooting the video with Alissa was both humbling and inspiring. If an eight-year-old girl can lose her leg and continue to to pursue her passion, what is stopping any one of us?

Gentri have quite a few tour dates lined up this year. Where are you most excited to perform at? What’s been a favorite venue to play at in the past?

A dream come true for us was performing with a full orchestra at our recently sold out Valentine’s Day release concert. Any opportunity to perform with a full orchestra is magical, as it allows the listeners to experience our music in its purest form. We look forward to every performance, but are especially excited about performing at Carnegie Hall this Winter.

At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope listeners take away from your songs?

At the core, GENTRI is about inspiring and uplifting others. We use our music as the medium to tell stories that inspire, challenge and motivate listener to live life more fully and to love more deeply. We hope that our authenticity is felt in everything we put out whether it be a video, a recording, or a photo.