An evening of superlative musicianship was provided by the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio at their opening concert last night.

And the inspired selection of music by Haydn, Dvorak and Tchaikovsky gives lie to any lingering doubts that chamber music is only for the musically elite.

Having said that, it is discouraging to note that, 17 years after the first Festival, Bermuda audiences still startle the performers by applauding in between each movement.

This trio was formed in 1977 when the three internationally acclaimed solo artists decided to take time out from their already busy careers, on a regular basis, to play the highly specialised literature for piano trio.

Although chamber music evolved in the great aristocratic salons of Europe, with gifted patrons themselves often participating in the entertainments, it was soon recognised that much of the repertoire required musicians of the highest standards. Rarely, however, as was fortunately the case last night, does each individual virtuoso technique combine with such an innate feeling for ensemble playing.

This was immediately apparent in Haydn's Piano Trio in B Flat Major, set in three movements and brimming with classical elegance and wit. The melodic opening theme was passed back and forth, moving on into cascading scales before settling again into serener mood. The solo piano (Joseph Kalichstein) introduced the second movement with a melody scored for the left hand, the theme being taken up by the violin (Jaime Laredo) and echoed by the pizzicato of Sharon Robinson on the cello. The finale, Allegro, returned to the opening theme, where the measured, minuet-like rhythm was punctuated with ever brightening piano scales until the coda, slipping in gently, was brought to a rousing and sparkling crescendo.

The "Dumky'' Trio in E Minor, with its Slavonic folk ballad and dance themes, epitomises the music of the Czech nationalistic composer, Antonin Dvorak. The volatile mood changes, so typical of the Balkan region, where lilting and colourful melodies switch abruptly to melancholy and despair, seemed to take on a sadly topical poignance in this outstandingly beautiful performance.

Not surprisingly, it was the sonorous tone of Sharon Robinson's cello that held sway here, swooping straight into the plaintive opening melody that was taken up by the slow, sweet tones of the violin before breaking into a brisk dance rhythm.

With Kalichstein heralding a sparkling crescendo, there was a surprising turnabout as this piece, played with an intense emotion that never clouded its technical clarity, drew to a quiet close with pizzicatos from the strings.

Tchaikovsky is not generally associated with chamber music and, as might be expected, his Trio in A Minor is, as Mr. Kalichstein mentioned to the audience, "a mammoth, gigantic piece'' which took up the entire second half of the programme.

Tchaikovsky was urged by his patron, Nadejda von Meck, to write something for her private piano trio (her pianist happened to be Debussy) and this evolved into a composition dedicated to the memory of the leading Moscow musician, Nicholas Rubinstein.

The lengthy variations which attain a grandeur unusual in chamber music, still vibrate with the heart-rending melodic quality that permeates Tchaikovsky's music. There is also a strong narrative element, with several variations supposedly depicting particular events in Rubinstein's life.

The piano takes a central role throughout, Kalichstein's extraordinary technique coupled with a fine sensitivity making this a performance to be long remembered. At the close, a wonderful duo for the violin and cello is accompanied by the muted chords of the piano tracing the relentless finality of the funeral march. As the last notes sounded, there was that rare moment of silence that acknowledges a truly great performance.

No wonder this trio, who made their debut together at the inauguration of President Carter, has been hailed ever since as "a minor miracle''. PATRICIA CALNAN INTERNATIONAL TRIO -- Violinist Jaime Laredo, cellist Sharon Robinson and pianist Joseph Kalichstein, rated as one of the top trios in the world, gave the first of two performances at City Hall last night.