It takes a special kind of orchestra to perform without a conductor. The Prague Chamber Orchestra is such an ensemble, comprised of 36 talented musicians who each take part in directing each other. On Wednesday evening, this unique group will join the Beaux Arts Trio for a spectacular evening of popular 19th-century works.

The origins of the Prague Chamber Orchestra date back to 1951, when the principal players of the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra founded a smaller orchestra more suitable for performing works of the classical period. Due to the popularity and activity of the Prague Chamber Orchestra, it split off from its parent ensemble and became a state-funded independent orchestra in 1965. The orchestra"s instrumentation includes twelve violins, four violas, four cellos and two double basses, along with an assortment of wind and percussion instruments.

While the majority of the orchestra"s repertoire draws from the classical period, with composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, they have performed works as far back as the High Baroque period, and as recent as twentieth-century pieces by Prokofiev and Stravinsky. Wednesday"s program includes Rossini"s "Overture to L"Italiana in Algeri," Jancek"s "Suite for Strings," and Mendelssohn"s "Symphony No. 4 in A Major, Op.90."

The highlight of Wednesday"s concert, however, will probably be Beethoven"s rarely performed "Triple Concerto in C major for Violin, Cello and Piano, Op.56." On this piece, the Beaux Arts Trio will perform the solo sections on their respective instruments: Menahem Pressler on piano, Young Uck Kim on violin, and Antonio Meneses on cello. Each musician in the trio is quite accomplished individually, and together they compose one of the most well-regarded chamber ensembles in the world.

Pressler, along with Daniel Guilet and Bernard Greenhouse, founded the Trio in 1955. They made their official public debut at the 1955 Berkshire Music Festival, known today as the Tanglewood Festival. Though the group has gone through several changes in membership, their reputation has only improved through the years. The Trio was chosen as Musical America"s ensemble of the year in 1997, and has been invited to perform in many of the world"s major music centers, such as London, Paris, and New York.

Apart from performing on stage, the Beaux Arts Trio dedicates a substantial amount of time to educational and cultural programs in North America. They participate in a concert series every year at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Celebrity Series in Boston, and the Library of Congress, where they are in residence. Pianist Pressler is a professor at the Indiana University School of Music. He has found that "to teach the things you really know to give that to a young person is enormously satisfying and important."

A major contributor to the Trio"s longevity is Pressler, who has been with the group since its conception. "The works in the trio are much designed for the piano," Pressler said. "The heartbeat is always there, the same heartbeat which is carried over from year to year."

Perhaps the Beaux Arts Trio will bring a new meaning to Beethoven"s "Triple Concerto." Previously, Pressler has performed the work with the London Philharmonic and the Leipzig Symphony Orchestra. Often played by three soloists, Pressler believes that when a group that normally plays together performs the piece, the result is augmented. Pressler said, "when a trio plays it, there is the matter of unifying the conception, and that is when it comes to life."