On Sept. 8 and 10, local band Sixth Station Trio made its Flower Piano debut. With Katelyn Tan on the piano, Anju Goto on the violin and Federico Ramirez on the cello, the band played a tribute to Studio Ghibli: an hour-long collection of music from the whimsically animated Japanese films.

“In Ghibli films, there’s a lot of beautiful landscapes,” Ramirez said. “It felt very appropriate to be playing these gorgeous melodies from the movies with a breathtaking floral backdrop.”

The trio’s performance was also a nod to their roots – their first recital was a similar Ghibli showcase held at SF’s Grace Cathedral.

“You could say Ghibli music united us – we’re all superfans,” Tan said. “We’ve held three other Ghibli concerts before Flower Piano.”

Although the Sixth Station Trio only formed officially in 2023, the members have been close friends and bandmates since high school. As SF natives, they attended Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and were classmates at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

“It felt natural to finally come together as a group,” Tan said.

The trio will be hosting a Halloween concert Oct. 21. The group hopes to perform more Ghibli music in 2024.To learn more about the Sixth Station, visit their Instagram: @sixthstationtrio.

– Clarisse Kim