There's something about stepping out of the comfortable – one might almost say cozy – confines of a large ensemble.

While playing in an orchestra presents its own set of challenges (blending timbres and matching dynamics, for instance), even a soloist can usually expect to lean on a fairly generous harmonic cushion.

The smaller the sub-group, however, the further out on a limb the musicians are; the greater their exposure – and the greater the potential for magnifying flaws.

Fortunately, with a group of the calibre of Crimson Crescendo – the newly minted classical trio of violinist Monika Niedzelko, keyboardist Bruce Petherick and acoustic bassist Peter Koyander (who premiered their Gossamer Glow series to highly appreciative full houses at Peninsula Productions' intimate 60-seat only studio theatre in Centennial Park Sept. 29) – discernible flaws are at a minimum, while the magic of deeply felt music-making is abundantly in evidence.

Indeed, a smattering of slightly hesitant entrances and occasionally imperfect intonations, at the matinee I saw, did not detract from the overall magnificence and frequent delights of their 'Remembering Summer' concert.

The trio, usually found together in the White Rock City Orchestra (Niedzelko is concert master, Koyander past president of the organization, while Petherick is both keyboardist and arranger) – is, after all, only a few months old as a performing entity, and still clearly in the process of developing, more than a basic rapport, the musical telepathy of a longer-established group.

Even this early in its history, Crimson Crescendo is a not-to-be-missed attraction. Niedzielko is possessed of a beautiful, emotionally moving violin tone; Petherick's work at the keyboard is marked by not only by technical facility and accuracy but also by a sensitivity to timing and subtle shadings, while Koyander's playing evinces a deep understanding of both the tonal and rhythmic possibilities of the double bass.

But, putting them even further out on a limb, the members are not content to play safe or simply according to tradition, adhering to what Petherick described to the audience as their 'post-modern' approach – creating arrangements that are harmonically and rhythmically experimental, adventurous, but indubitably challenging.

The big payoff of this courageous approach, however, is music that is consistently stimulating and rewarding.  

Nowhere was this more evident than in Petherick's arrangement of Satie's meditative Gymnopedie No. 1 in which the beautifully expressed classicism of the trio, and the 'swing' of the composer's distinctive rhythmic pattern eventually morphed into the similar harmonies and rhythms of Gershwin's immortal Summertime, from Porgy and Bess.

And when they transitioned, quite literally, into 'swinging' the latter, it was a notable demonstration of the musicians' versatility, as Niedzelko adeptly phrased the theme, Petherick improvised fluidly and Koyander slipped naturally into an agile 4/4 walking groove.

Crimson Crescendo also demonstrated their ability to recognize the musical qualities of the non-traditional, as in their emotionally profound rendition of Billie Eilish's What Was I Made For? – which as Petherick noted, is rapidly becoming a party piece for them, and of the unexpected, as in Koyander's arrangement of Brazilian guitarist-composer Egberto Gismonti's Agua e Vinho.

There was ample opportunity to enjoy Niedzelko's exquisitely wistful tone and expression in more traditional fare, such as Borowski's Adoration, Massenet's Meditation from Thais, both arranged subtly and sympathetically by Koyander, and Claude Debussy's Claire de lune, arranged felicitously by Petherick.

The sense of end-of-summer reverie was also explored, in Petherick's consistently imaginative style, in arrangements of two Chopin preludes, the meditative Op. 28, No. 4  and the Raindrop (Op.28, No. 15), and a welcome reminder of the breadth and power of Tchaikovsky smaller compositions, via his August Harvest (from The Seasons Op. 37a).

And in the lingering tones and resonance of his own original composition, What I Remember, Petherick succeeded in conveying a nuanced musical evocation of the nature of human perception and memory.  

While the Gossamer Glow series is technically sold out for all its evening performances, I highly recommend music lovers to pursue the few available tickets for matinee performances.

Next up, on Dec. 1, at noon, is a special, added Crimson Crescendo Christmas Matinee, while upcoming concerts include 100 Years Plus One (March 2), the trio's exploration of some of the most popular tunes of the past century, and The Beatles Reimagined (May 4), the music of the Fab Four – as seen through the lens of a post-modern classical trio.

To check for updated ticket information, write info@peninsulaproductions.org or call 604-536-8335.