Albéniz Trio (ES/NL)

Luis María Suárez Felipe - violin
Paula Brizuela Carballo - cello
Javier Rameix - piano

Albéniz Trio was founded in 2019 by Javier Rameix (piano), Paula Brizuela Carballo (cello) and Luis María Suárez Felipe (violin). Based in Amsterdam, they have been working together and have since performed in different venues in several European countries such as the National Auditorium of Music, Sony Auditorium and the Juan March Foundation in Madrid, Tauberphillharmonie in Baden-Wurtemberg, Germany, and Schloss Johannisberg in Hesse, Germany, among others.

The members of the Albéniz Trio met in Madrid, Spain, at the prestigious Reina Sofía School of Music. All its three members have been awarded in their respective instrumental disciplines by Her Majesty Queen Sofía, and they have received the Reina Sofía School of Music “Most outstanding Chamber Music Group” award under the tutelage of professors Günter Pichler, Heime Müller, and Marta Gulyás.

They have received awards such as the “Jeunesses Musicales” Prize, and, 1st prize at the IX “Antón García Abril” International Chamber Music Competition, Spain. They received the 1st Prize and the “Arthur Rubinstein” Special Prize at the XXI “Kiejstut Bacewicz” International Chamber Music Competition in Łódź, Poland. 

The Albéniz Trio already has a busy agenda of future commitments for the 2022-23 season. They are winners of the “Rising Ensemble” Award 2022 of the FestClásica chamber music series in Spain. They will take part in highly prestigious festivals such as the Rheingau Musik Festival, Hohenloher Kultursommers Festival in Germany, in the 71st Edition of the Granada International Music and Dance Festival, the Huéscar Classical Music Festival, Spain, “Miami Music Concerts” in Florida and the International Forum for High Improvement of Southern Europe.

The Albéniz Trio continues its artistic development through masterclasses by important artists such as Menahem Pressler, Günter Pichler, Quatour Ébène, Rainer Schmidt, Péter Nagy, Luis Fernando Pérez, Dirk Mommertz, Priya Mitchell, Cuarteto Casals and Vogler Quartett. In addition, the Albéniz Trio, in its constant search for inspiration and innovation in its art, is part of the chair of chamber music at the “Hochschule für Musik und Theater” in Munich, Germany, in the company of artists such as Dirk Momertz, pianist of the renowned Fauré Quartett and the Quatour Ébène.

Paddington Trio (FI/IE/US)

Tuulia Hero – violin
Patrick Moriarty – cello
Stephanie Tang – piano

Having started their first adventure together at Paddington Station during the pandemic in 2020, the Paddington Trio has quickly emerged as a unique and versatile ensemble of a lasting entity. Hailed for their “nuanced and powerful performance” (ROSL News, 18 March 2022), the trio won first prize in the 70th Royal Over-Seas League Competition for Strings & Piano Ensemble. This April 2023, they won the prestigious Parkhouse Award in Wigmore Hall. They are supported generously by the City Music Foundation, Kirckman Concert Society, and GBZ Management.

Committed to thoughtfully curated programming, as well as passionate advocates of new classical music, the Paddington Trio won first prize at the NEW FORMATS Project Prize 2022 in Graz, Austria, 2nd prize and the jury prize for the Best Interpretation of an Estonian Work at the 2021 Tallinn International Piano Chamber Music Competition and 1st prize at the Clara Schumann International Competition.

In March 2023, the trio made their concerto debut, where they performed Beethoven's Triple Concerto under Jan Söderblom with the Jyväskylä Sinfonia. They have had the immense privilege to perform in prestigious halls and series such as Wigmore Hall, LSO St. Luke's, Oxford Coffee Concerts, St. George’s Bristol, Brighton Dome and BBC Total Immersion concert series. Upcoming concert highlights include debuts at Conway Hall, Brighton Festival, Buxton International Festival, Schiermonnikoog Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Lake District Summer Music. They have appeared on YLE Radio (Finland) and BBC Radio 3 In Tune.

Having all studied individually at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, the trio is currently in the Guildhall Artist Fellowship programme. They are grateful to receive mentorship from Richard Ireland at ChamberStudio and Marc Danel at the Netherlands String Quartet Academy. They have had the privilege to work with Gary Hoffman, Levon Chilingirian, Adrian Brendel, Robert Levin, Johannes Meissl, David Dolan and members of the Takács, Endellion, Meta4 and Kamus quartets. The trio has also studied under Thomas Adès at the IMS Prussia Cove’s 50th anniversary masterclasses.

Having arrived in London from different countries, violinist Tuulia Hero (Finland), cellist Patrick Moriarty (Ireland) and pianist Stephanie Tang (US) seek to build engaging concert programmes curated for changing times and audiences.

Rilian Trio (CA)

Daniel Dastoor - violin
David Liam Roberts - cello
Godwin Friesen - piano

Brought together by their shared passion for chamber music and depth of musical narrative, the Rilian Trio is composed of three of Canada’s leading young musicians, pianist Godwin Friesen, violinist Daniel Dastoor, and cellist David Liam Roberts. As a trio, they have studied with artists such as Miguel da Silva, Steven Isserlis, Christian Tetzlaff, and Elisabeth Kufferath.

Upcoming engagements include a recital presented by the Gallery Players of Niagara in 2024.  

The Rilian Trio formed in 2021 at the Glenn Gould School (GGS) of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where they were mentored by Bryan Epperson. Five months later, they were awarded 1st Prize at the GGS Chamber Music Competition, and shortly thereafter were one of two trios preselected for the upcoming 2023 Trondheim International Chamber Competition. 

The trio has performed in Toronto and Montreal, as well as in Trondheim and Levanger, Norway. They have also premiered a new work for piano quartet by their pianist, Godwin Friesen.

Trio Castus (KR)

Seokhwan Choi – violin
Seungyeon Oh – cello
Seungkyu Oh – piano

Trio Castus is a piano trio based in South Korea and the United States. This group is made up of Violinist Seokhwan Choi, Cellist Seungyeon Oh, and Pianist Seungkyu Oh. Three of them organized the group in November 2022. The Latin word ‘Castus’ means ‘pure,’ or ‘divine,' which corresponds to their musical goal: to aim for the pure blended sonority, interpretation and sound itself for the sake of divine music. The members of Trio Castus share a similar educational background by graduating from South Korea and form the group at Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music. This common cultural background enables them to understand and bond with each other. After initiating a trio group, they were invited to play a fundraising concert at the Brown County Chamber Festival in Nashville, and had chamber concerts at various venues, such as Auer Hall, and Ford-Crawford Hall in the United States.

Trio Incendio (CZ)

Karolína Františová – piano
Filip Zaykov – violin
Vilém Petras – cello

Trio Incendio was founded in 2016 in Prague. The trio has won several national and international competitions, for example Gianni Bergamo Classic Music Award in Lugano, Coop Music Awards in Cremona, Concorso Musicale “Marcello Pontillo” in Firenze, Kiejstut Bacewicz Competition in Lodz, Concorso “Massimiliano Antonelli” in Latina and Bohuslav Martinů Competition in Prague, where they also gained the Special Prize for the best interpretation of the work by Martinů. In March, Trio Incendio was awarded the 2nd prize at the Joseph Joachim International Chamber Music Competition in Weimar while the 1st prize was not awarded.

The trio is a member ensemble of the European Chamber Music Academy, which gives young ensembles a possibility of working regularly with distinguished artists and professors such as Hatto Beyerle, Johannes Meissl and all the other members of the Artis Quartet, Julius Berger, Alexander Lonquich, Karla Haltenwanger (Boulanger Trio), Avedis Koyoumdjian, Marianna Shirinyan, Boris Berman, Itamar Golan, Jan Talich and Petr Prause (Talich Quartet), Vida Vujić, Patrick Jüdt, Minna Pensola (Meta4 Quartet) or Dirk Mommertz (Fauré Quartet), Hyung-ki Joo. The trio also took part in a masterclass with Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet) and had two sessions of a public masterclass with Alfred Brendel on Piano Trios by Schubert. One of the masterclasses on Trio No. 1 has already been released on a DVD by the Supraphon label. In 2019, Trio Incendio was invited to join the Le Dimore Del Quartetto organisation.

Trio Incendio participates regularly in the International Summer Academy in Reichenau, organised by the University of Music in Vienna. At the academy, they were awarded the Wiener Klassik Prize, Bohuslav Martinů Prize and AHUV Prize for the best interpretation of Czech contemporary music. The trio also got the Chamber Music Prize for the best ensemble of the academy and the Audience Award.

Trio Incendio performs both in the Czech Republic and abroad. The young ensemble has already given concerts in some of the most important European venues such as Philharmonie Berlin, Wigmore Hall or Rudolfinum in Prague and has been invited to festivals like Ticino Musica, the chamber music season of the Prague Spring Festival or the Davos Festival. Their concerts are appreciated for their passion, stylistic clarity and the beauty of the sound.

Trio Luminescence (FR)

Raphaël Garac – Violin
Albert Kuchinski – cello
Antonin Bonnet – Piano

The Trio Luminescence is a young french trio founded in 2020 by Raphaël Garac (Violin), Albert Kuchinski (Cello) and Antonin Bonnet (Piano). All three are students at the Paris Conservatory (CNSMDP), where they first worked with François Salque before obtaining a bachelor in chamber music (with highest honours) in Claire Désert's class. They are now perfecting their skills in the class of the Trio Wanderer as part of the concert artist cycle at the CRR in Paris. 

The trio recently took part in the Vienna/Grafenegg session of the ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy), where they notably benefited from the teaching of Johannes Meissl, Avedis Kouyoumdjian and Hatto Beyerle. They have also taken part in masterclasses with renowned artists such as Eckart Runge, Romain Descharmes and Marc Coppey.

The Trio Luminescence often works on period instruments to develop their imagination and build historically informed interpretation. Thus, Raphaël is dedicating his Master’s thesis to the interpretation of Haydn piano trios on period instruments.

The trio performs regularly in France, as well as in cities such as Belgrade, Budapest, Ljubjana and Vienna. They have recently performed Beethoven's Triple Concerto on several occasions with the Chatillon Conservatoire orchestra. From 17 to 27 August 2023, as part of the "Génération Chaise Dieu" programme, the trio will be in residence at the Festival de la Chaise Dieu, as well as giving a number of concerts, including one at the Auditorium Cziffra, where they will have the honour of performing with violinist Pierre Fouchenneret and violist Lise Berthaud.

Trio Tokava (MY/TW/US)

Zi Yang Low – violin
Eugene Lin – cello
Nadia Azzi – piano

Trio Tokava (Nadia Azzi, piano; Zi Yang Low, violin; Eugene Lin, cello) was formed at the Colburn Conservatory of Music and is based in Los Angeles, USA. All three artists have illustrious solo and chamber music careers, and the group is dedicated to offering audiences a unique and captivating approach to the repertoire they perform. Members of the trio have attended prestigious chamber music festivals, including the Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and Sarasota Music Festival, among others. Collectively and individually, the trio regularly works with Martin Beaver, Fabio Bidini, and Clive Greensmith. 

Animato Quartet (NO/NL)

Inga Våga Gaustad, violin
Tim Brackman, violin
Elisa Karen Tavenier, viola
Pieter de Koe, cello

The Animato Quartet is widely considered to be one of the most promising young string quartets in the Netherlands with its members being praised for their passionate, spontaneous playing and their powerful on-stage presence. Founded in 2013, their programs contain a combination of classical music with inspiration from the abundant string quartet repertoire and contemporary compositions some of which have been especially composed for the ensemble.  In 2014 the Animato Quartet received an award for ‘Artistic Excellence’ at the Brazilian ‘Festival International de Inverno de Campos do Jordao’, and was laureate of the Grachtenfestival CompetitionLater. In 2017 the quartet received the prestigious string quartet grant from the Kersjes Foundation, one of the largest private culture funds in the Netherlands supporting young talent. Being ‘artist in residence’ as part of the post-grad program of the Dutch String Quartet Academy, the Animato feels hugely privileged to work with inspiring artists and coaches such as Marc Danel and Eberhard Feltz, and Hatto Beyerle and Johannes Meissl, to name a few. The Animato has been chosen from more than 40 applications as one of the four laureates of the Dutch Classical Talent Award 2021-’22! In the near future, the quartet is looking forward to many new challenges, incuding exciting collaborations with musicians such as saxophonist Kika Sprangers, bassoonist Thomas Dulfer, and pianist Hanna Shybayeva, with whom they have recorded Beethoven’s Piano Concerto nr. 1 in a transcription for string quintet. 

Arima Quartet (ESP/EST/PL)

Jose Ignacio Lopez Garcia, violin
Joonas Teppo, violin
Beltrán Cubel Gajas, viola
Marta Podwysocka, cello

The Arima quartet, based in Helsinki, Finland, is comprised of musicians studying master at the Sibelius academy: Jose Ignacio Lopez Garcia, Joonas Teppo, Beltran Cubel Gajas and Marta Podwysocka. Inspired to keep music alive, the Arima Quartet members have spent this year of loss of interaction between audience and performer, due to the coronavirus pandemic, to work on; expand and strengthen their repertoire. They are currently mentored by Marko Ylönen, a world reknown solo cellist and pedagogue and Antti Tikkanen first violin from the Meta4 Quartet. They also have received masterclasses of important chamber musicians as Teemu Kupiainen, Kreeta-Julia Heikkila, Marti Rauttio, Kirill Kozlovski and Cecilia Oinas. Their more remarkable performances in the last year are their appearance in the chamber music matinees in Musikkitalo playing Beethoven “Serioso” String Quartet in the Beethoven 250 anniversary (Finnish National Chamber Music Hall) and their performance in the chamber music week of Sibelius Academy.

Belinfante Quartet (NE/UK/ESP)

Olivia Scheepers, violin
Fiona Robertson, violin
Sophie Vroegop, viola
Pau Marques Oleo, cello

The Belinfante Quartet took their Masters in Chamber Music, Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover. Since 2019 they have been appointed Quartet in Residence, NSKA Nederlands StrijkKwartet Academie and they also have a residency at String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam SQBA. Belinfante Quartet were selected for MUSA (European young Musicians soft Skills Alliance) European professional training project for young string quartets supported by Erasmus+. The quartet had Masterclasses withmusicians such as Luc-Marie Aguera, Isabel Charisius, Eberhard Feltz, Pavel Fischer, Donald Grant, François Guye, Johannes Meissl, Michael Vogler, Oliver Wille, Danel Quartet, Diotima Quartet and the Jerusalem Quartet. With a great enthusiasm, musical knowledge, a wonderful sense for style, sound and exciting ideas, the four wonderful musicians and personalities are very open minded, coming together with a strong quartet identity. 

Quatuor Confluence (FR)

Charlotte Saluste-Bridoux, violin
Lorraine Campet, violin
Pierre-Antoine Codron, viola
Tom Almerge-Zerillo, cello

The Confluence Quartet had several members since 2015, but in September 2019, Charlotte and Lorraine joined Pierre-Antoine et Tom, the two founding members. Mathieu Herzog, violist, conductor and founder member of EBENE quartet, is their main teacher. He leads the quartet in different projects and in the string quartet competitions' training. The Confluence Quartet won 1st prize at the "Tremplin pour jeunes quatuors de la philharmonie de Paris" 2016 and Prix Fnapec and Proquartet Prize at the "Fnapec european competition", Paris, 2016. Due to the current health crisis, most of the concerts were cancelled, but the quartet still performed in festivals such as the "Jeudi Musicaux de Royan" and for private concerts. In April 2021 they played live at "Génération France Musique" for RadioFrance. The quartet was invited by the prestigious SINGER-POLIGNAC foundation (Paris, France) to be part of their Young Artist residence, alongside french chamber ensembles like Quatuor EBENE and Quatuor AROD. The quartet recently joined the BOUBO-MUSIC foundation (Basel, SW) who generously lends them some old fine italian instruments. 

Erinys Quartet (US/LT/FI/GR)

Elisabeth Stewart, violin
Marija Räisänen, violin
Aida Hadzajlic, viola
Stergios Theodoridis, cello

Based in Helsinki, Finland, the Erinys Quartet was formed in 2018 and is comprised of violinists Elizabeth Stewart and Marija Räisänen, violist Aida Hadzajlic, and cellist Stergios Theodoridis, all of whom are currently pursuing diplomas at the Sibelius Academy. Under the guidance of Finnish cellist Marko Ylönen, Erinys has performed works of Beethoven, Brahms, Shostakovich, and Schubert and presents concerts around Helsinki. The quartet has also worked with Paavo Pohjola and Martti Rautio. Erinys was featured at Mimir Chamber Music Festival (USA) during the summer of 2020, performing web-streamed concerts for global audiences. In addition to chamber music, all four members also participate in the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra and play with professional orchestras throughout Finland.

NOVO Quartet (DK/PL)

Kaya Kato Møller, violin
Nikolai Vasili Nedergaard, violin
Daniel Sledzinski, viola
Signe Ebstrup Bitsch, cello

NOVO Quartet is a Danish-Polish quartet formed in September 2018. All the members are students at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, studying as a chamber music group under Professor Tim Frederiksen – the teacher and mentor behind Danish String Quartet. Over the past years, the four individual members have entered several competitions both in Denmark and abroad, and they have received extremely positive remarks and awards for their performances. The members of the quartet have also played several concerts with solo programs giving them the opportunity to develop as musicians. Additionally, they have each participated in masterclasses with famous and highly respected professors from all over the world, among others: Nikolaj Znaider, Pinchas Zukerman, Milan Vitek, Sergey Kravchenko, Lawrence Power and Jeffrey Irvine. Despite their short time together as a quartet, NOVO Quartet has already played a wide range of repertoire for a variety of concerts. In May 2019 they won the Køge Chamber Music Competition 2019 and Scholarship Competition at The Royal Danish Academy of Music. In June 2019, they represented The Royal Danish Academy of Music at a Dutch music and architecture festival ‘Tilburg is Mooi’. In October 2019 they were semi finalists in the Carl Nielsen International Chamber Music Competition 2019, and in November 2019 they were invited to perform in Shanghai, China. Most recently, they were awarded the Grand Prize Winner in ENKOR International Chamber Music Competition 2020. 

Levon Chilingirian - Jury Chairman

Levon Chilingirian’s long association with Norway and its music was established when the Chilingirian Quartet was invited to give summer courses for the Norwegian Chamber Music Association for well over a decade. Many of the participating young musicians have now become established and highly respected members of the profession. Trondheim, through the inspirational leadership of Kåre Opdal, played a key role in this. Chilingirian is Professor of violin and chamber music at both the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. His career began with winning the BBC Beethoven (1969) and the ARD Munich International (1971) Competitions with his duo partner, pianist Clifford Benson. In September 1971, the Chilingirian Quartet was formed and established a world-wide reputation for its much-praised interpretations of classical, romantic  and contemporary repertoire.  As the Quartet approaches its 50th anniversary, it still has two of its founding members, Mark Butler and Chilingirian. Chilingirian is also a soloist and ensemble director and has appeared with the Trondheim Soloists, the Bergen Philharmonic, the Camerata Nordica, the Gothenberg Symphony and many other British and European orchestras. He is honoured to be the Chairman of the Trondheim Quartet Competition since its establishment. 

Leonard Disselhorst

Disselhorst took his first cello lessons at the ageof seven. He completed early studies at the Hanover Conservatory’s Institute for Early Training of highly talented Musicians (IFF), studied with Prof. Martin Ostertag at the University of Music Karlsruhe and with Prof. Jens Peter Maintz at the UdK Berlin. Further studies with the vision string quartet with the Artemis Quartet and Günter Pichler complement his musical education. Leonard has been performing regularly both as a soloist and chamber musician in Germany and abroad and is a regular guest at numerous festivals such as the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival, the Lucerne Festival and the Rheingau Music Festival. He was a member of the National Youth Orchestra and has worked with conductors such as Sir Dennis R. Davies and Sir Simon Rattle. Radio recordings were made at SWR, NDR, rbb and Deutschlandradio Kultur. Leonard is a laureate of many prizes in the national competition "Jugend Musiziert", as well as prizewinner of the International Hindemith Competition, the Domenico Gabrielli Competition, several times at the Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy University Competition in Berlin, as well as winner of the renowned Concours de Genève. 

Henninge Landaas

Henninge Landaas started playing the violin at the age of three at the Municipal Music School in Trondheim. She continued her musical education at Trøndelag Music Conservatory and the Norwegian Academy of Music, where she studied with Bjarne Fiskum and Magnus Eriksson. She graduated in 1996 with both violin and viola as her main instrument and was awarded top marks. Landaas was a member of the Trondheim Soloists from the beginning in 1987, both as a solo viola player and also as a soloist several times. She has been a soloist with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, among others, and she worked for many years as a solo viola player in the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic. From 1994 to 2011, she was a member of the Vertavo String Quartet. In 2014, she formed together with Sølve Sigerland and Ellen Flesjø Ssens Trio. Her extensive discography consists of recordings with both the Vertavo Quartet and Ssens Trio, a number of CDs with the Oslo Philharmonic Chamber group, and as a solist at Lawo Classics with Brahms sonatas with Tim Horton and the Hindemith solosonate op.25. Ssens Trio’s first CD, Beethoven op.3 and op.8, received the "Supersonic Award" from Pizzicato Magazine, and was nominated for the prestigious ICMA Awards in 2018.  

Øyvind Gimse

Gimse is an internationally renowned teacher who, alongside his position at the Institute of Music at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), has taught masterclasses in Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Spain and Brazil. Chamber music is close to Øyvinds’ heart, and he has performed at all of the major Norwegian chamber music festivals, where he has played with musicians such as Leif Ove Andsnes, Martin Fröst, Anthony Marwood and Bobby McFerrin. Over the course of his 15 years as Artistic Director for the Trondheim Soloists, Gimse developed the orchestra into a fully professional ensemble which is very active on the international music scene. Seven GRAMMY nominations and two Spellemann prizes are the crowning achievements of his six major recordings with the Trondheim Soloists. As musical director Øyvind has also conducted several of Norways’ professional symphony orchestras as well as orchestras in Spain, Lithuania and Vietnam. Øyvind was involved in the establishment of the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival and likewise the setting up of the national talent development programme “Young Musicians”. In recognition of his contribution to cultural life in Trondheim he was awarded the 2013 Trondheim Municipal Cultural Prize.

Geir Inge Lotsberg

Lotsberg began his professional career at a young age and has distinguished himself as one of Norway's most active chamber musicians. He studied with Leif Jørgensen (1927-1988) in Oslo from the age of ten for eight years, Sandor Vègh in Salzburg, Camilla Wicks in Houston and Ana Chumachenco in Munich. In 1991 he became one of the founding members of Oslo String Quartet. He is a widely experienced musician and has been a member of ensembles such as the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra and Camerata Academica Salzburg, and concertmaster of the Bergen Philharmonic and Norwegian National Opera orchestras. In addition to collaborations with other musicians including Håvard Gimse, Einar Steen-Nøkleberg, Vebjørn Anvik and Kåre Nordstoga, Lotsberg has performed as a soloist with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and Camerata Academica Salzburg. Lotsberg is much in demand as a teacher and orchestra leader, working regularly since 2005 with TrondheimSolistene and as a teacher at the Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo since 1994. From August 2017 he is appointed as Artistic Director of the TrondheimSolistene.

Marianna Shirinyan

Armenian-born Marianna Shirinyan has received Danish Broadcasting Corporation’s prestigious P2 award for her contribution to Danish music life and the critics prize of the association of Danish critics. She is a frequent guest at a string of international music festivals, among them the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Bodensee Festival, the Schwetzinger Festspiele, MDR Summer Music Festival, Festspillene in Bergen. She has won the reputation of being one of this generations leading pianists through solo appearances orchestras as Danish National Symphony Orchestra, Oslo, Helsinki and Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestras, Munich Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Kammerakademie Potsdam to name a few. Shirinyan is a professor of piano at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, a Steinway artist and artistic director of the Oremandsgaard Chamber Music Festival in Denmark. From the summer 2020 also co-artistic director of the Valdres Sommersymfoni in Norway. Her recordings has been received enthusiastically by international reviewers and listeners alike. Her latest release, the Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra by Louis Glass, which she has recorded together with the Rheinische Philharmonie Koblenz under the baton of maestro Daniel Raiskin has been awarded the P2 prize of the Danish radio in 2018. 

Frederik Øland

Violinist Frederik Øland was educated by Serguei Azizian at The Royal Danish Music Academy in Copenhagen and Ulf Wallin at Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler in Berlin. In 2009, at the age of 23, he won the position as concert master at Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, and was employed as a teacher of violin and chamber music at The Royal Danish Academy of Music. Frederik Øland has been awarded various Danish prizes such as grants from Jacob Gade Foundation, Victor Borge Foundation and Léonie Sonning Foundation. He is violinist for the award-winning Danish String Quartet, most recently elected as Ensemble of the Year 2020 by Musical America. The quartet tours all over the world and in 2020 completed a concert cycle with all Beethoven's string quartets in Lincoln Center, New York. Their CD series ‘Prism’ was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2019. In 2017, Frederik Øland resigned his position at Copenhagen Phil to focus on working in the Danish String Quartet. However, he continues to assist in several of the Danish orchestras when time allows. The Danish String Quartet is the organizers of both the DSQ Festival and the concert series ‘Series of Four’, both in administrative roles and as artistic directors. 

Photo credits: Levon Chilingirian: Garo Berberian, Øyvind Gimse: Sven Erik Knoff, Geir Inge Lotsberg and Marianna Shirinyan: Nikolaj Lund, Henninge Landaas: Rune Bendiksen, Frederik Øland: C. Bittencourt

First round, day 1: Tuesday 26 September
10:00 Albéniz Trio
11:00 Trio Castus 
12:00 Paddington Trio

First round, day 2: Wednesday 27 September
10:00 Rilian Trio
11:00 Trio Tokava
12:00 Trio Luminescense
PAUSE
14:00 Trio Incendio

Announcement of the second round at approximately 15:45

Second round: Thursday 28 September
09:30 Albéniz Trio
10:15 Trio Tokava
11:00 Rilian Trio
PAUSE
12:45 Trio Incendio
13:30 Paddington Trio

Announcement of finalists at approximately 14:45

Final: Saturday 30 September
18:00 
Playing order:
Trio Incendio 
Trio Tokava 
Rilian Trio 

The three finalist ensembles will compete with piano trios by Schubert. You can vote for your favorite ensemble for the prestigious audience award!

Click here to buy tickets for the final.

Update 22.09.2023: 

Amelio Trio and Holm Trio had to cancel their participation in the competition. The printed magazine was made before this announcement and is therefore not up to date. 

LISTEN UP
Seminar for TICC audience

Members of Trondheim Chamber Music Society and music students at NTNU University will in addition to all competition concerts enjoy lectures from pianist Knut Erik Jensen connected to the repertoire played and the performances of the trios. Everyone can sign up for the seminar, which is held during the first two rounds of the competition. The seminar is held in Norwegian.

Click here to read more and sign up for the seminar.

TICC ON THE ROAD

Don’t miss out when the TICC trios travel outside Trondheim. These are exceptionally talented musicians who usually perform in the world’s big cities.

Thursday 28 September
19.00 At home with Mugås & Benestad, organized by Huskonsertene i Rissa.
Information about the concert here

Friday 29 September

18.00 Bautaen Kulturhus, Skaun
Click here for more info and tickets at Bautaen Kulturhus.

19.30 Levanger Kulturkirke
Click here for more info and tickets at Levanger Kulturkirke.

Saturday 30 September
13.00 Fjøsakademiet, Glåmos
Click here for more info and tickets at Fjøsakademiet.

14.00 Kimen Kulturhus, Stjørdal
Click here for more info and tickets at Kimen Kulturhus.

RESULTS 11TH TICC 2021 - STRING QUARTETS

1st Prize – The Torstein Erbo Prize € 15 000
Engagement at the following festivals 2022/ 2023/ 2024:
Arctic Chamber Music Festival (NO)
Risør kammermusikkfest (NO)
String Quartet Biennale Amsterdam (NE)
Oslo Quartet Series (NO)
The Audience Prize - Engagement at Trondheim Chamber Music Festival 2022
The Commission Prize € 500
Idagio NextGen Award https://app.idagio.com/live 
- Quatuor Confluence (FR)

2nd Prize, KHL Prize € 10 000
Jury Special Prize: Masterclass at JMD Schloss Weikersheim (DE)
- NOVO Quartet (DK/PL)

3rd Prize, The Trondheim City "Kåre Opdal" Prize € 5 000
Jury Special Prize: Masterclass at JMD Schloss Weikersheim (DE)
- Animato Quartet (NO/NE)

Click here to read the article published after the Finals 25 September.

1st Prize

The Torstein Erbo Prize: € 15 000

Engagements at the following festivals 2024/ 2025 /2026:

Aulaseriene (NO)
Glogerfestspillene (NO)
Northern Lights Festival (NO)

2nd Prize - The KHL Prize

€ 10 000

3rd Prize - Trondheim Municipality "The Kåre Opdal Prize"

€ 5 000

The Audience Prize

Engagement at Trondheim Chamber Music Festival 2024

The Kim Trio Commission Prize

€ 1 000

Awarded for best interpretation of Ellen Lindquist´s commission “Shining Through”.

Special Prize

Masterclass at JMD Schloss Weikersheim (DE)

1.     12th Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition is open to piano trios (violin, cello and piano).

2.      Applications will be accepted from ensembles provided the combined maximum age of the trio members as of 26th of September 2023 does not exceed 90 years. The age limit for each musician of the trio must be under 35 and over 16 years on 26th of September 2023. 

TICC stands together with the Norwegian government and the United Nations, condemning Russia’s illegal and inhuman attacks on Ukraine. This year applications from musicians with Russian or Belarusian citizenship will not be accepted. This regulation is set to exclude Russia and Belarus as nations, rather than the individual applicant. We truly look forward to the day it is possible for us again to invite Russian and Belarusian musicians to participate in our competition.

3.      Musicians may only enter the competition as a member of one ensemble.

4.      Musicians are responsible for all travel expenses. The competition will offer lodging in 2-bed room, as well as breakfast and one hot meal a day.

5.      The application must be sent no later than the day of the deadline; 20 April 2023.

6:      The following documents must be attached the application:

a.    A copy of birth certificate or similar official document confirming the date and place of birth of each candidate.

b.    Curriculum vitae with particulars of training, awards and diplomas and recent concert appearances of the trio.

c.     Two recent professional references.

d.    Two recent digital high-resolution photographs of the trio.

e.    Two recent audio recordings of high quality (WAV, AIFF,FLAC or M4a (Alac), minimum Bitrate 164kbps), of the trio. The recording should be recorded in one "take" and must not be edited or altered in any way. TICC reserves the right to disqualify applicants entering studio enhanced or modified tapes. Applicants are anonymous to the jury when considered for TICC.

Recording one: Choose one movement from the list below: 

M. Ravel: Trio in A minor: Choose 3rd movement OR 4th movement

or

D. Shostakovich: Trio No. 2, E minor, Op. 67: Choose 3rd movement OR 4th movement

Recording two: Choose one 1st movement by Mozart or Beethoven from the First Stage repertoire. See repertoire list: 

f.      A letter from a teacher or professional musician certifying the authenticity of the recording.

7.      There will be a non-refundable entry fee of EUR 120 per trio which should not be sent until the application has been accepted.

8.      The competition is divided into three stages – two eliminating stages and a final stage. All stages will be open to the public. 

9.      Each trio will be required to prepare five works, as indicated in the repertoire list.

10.   Depending on the number of ensembles, the duration of the first round might be cut to thirty minutes per ensemble. The jury will announce their selected program 24 hours in advance.

11.   The order of playing will be decided by ballot. A new ballot will be held for each new stage of the competition.

12.   Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition is entitled to broadcast the concerts, in any medium, in whole or in part, live or by recording, in sound and/or in images. No payment will be made to contestants for the recording or broadcasting of competition performances.

13.   Rehearsal facilities, including the provision of music stands, will be available to all ensembles in Trondheim accepted to the Competition. TICC does not warrant, however, that such facilities will be adequate or meet the requirements of ensembles.

14.    All pianos used in the competition will be tuned strictly to A=442 for the duration of the competition.

15.   The competition reserves the right not to award 1st prize if the jury cannot find a candidate.

16.   Winners of the 1st Prize and the Audience Prize must agree to perform a certain number of concerts in 2024, arranged for them by Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition and Trondheim Chamber Music Festival.

17.   The official language of TICC is English.

Download the competition rules here (PDF).

1. 11th Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition is open to string quartets. 
2. Applications will be accepted from musicians of all nationalities provided the combined maximum age of the quartet members as of 21st September 2021 does not exceed 120 years. The age limit for each musician of the quartet must be under 35 and over 16 years on 21st September 2021. 
3. Musicians may only enter the competition as a member of one ensemble. 
4. Musicians are responsible for all travel expenses. The competition will offer lodging in 2-bed room, as well as breakfast and one hot meal a day. 
5. The application must be sent no later than the day of the deadline; 20 April 2021. 
6. The following documents must be attached the application: 

   a.       A copy of birth certificate or similar official document confirming the date and place of birth of each candidate. 
   b.       Curriculum vitae with particulars of training, awards and diplomas and recent concert appearances of the quartet. 
   c.       Two recent professional references. 
   d.       Two recent digital high-resolution photographs of the quartet. 
   e.       Two recent audio recordings of high quality (WAV, AIFF, FLAC or M4a (Alac), minimum Bitrate 164kbps), of the quartet. The recording should be recorded in one "take" and must not be edited or altered in any way. TICC reserves the right to disqualify applicants entering studio enhanced or modified tapes. Applicants are anonymous to the jury when considered for TICC. 
   f.        Recording one: Choose one movement from this list: 1st movement from Mozart K387, K421, K458, K428, K464, K465, K499, K575, K589 or K590.  
   g.       Recording two: One movement of any Bartók, Berg, Britten, Debussy, Janácek, Ravel or Shostakovich quartet. 
   h.       A letter from a teacher or professional musician certifying the authenticity of the recording. 

7. There will be a non-refundable entry fee of EUR 160 per quartet which should not be sent until the application has been accepted. 
8. The competition is divided into three stages – two eliminating stages and a final stage. All stages will be open to the public.  
9. Each quartet will be required to prepare six works, as indicated in the repertoire list. 
10. Depending on the number of ensembles, the duration of the first round might be cut to thirty minutes per ensemble. The jury will announce their selected program 24 hours in advance. 
11. The order of playing will be decided by ballot. A new ballot will be held for each new stage of the competition. 
12. Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition is entitled to broadcast the concerts, in any medium, in whole or in part, live or by recording, in sound and/or in images. No payment will be made to contestants for the recording or broadcasting of competition performances. 
13. Rehearsal facilities, including the provision of music stands, will be available to all ensembles in Trondheim accepted to the Competition. TICC does not warrant, however, that such facilities will be adequate or meet the requirements of ensembles. 
14. The competition reserves the right not to award 1st prize if the jury cannot find a candidate. 
15. Winners of the 1st Prize and the Audience Prize must agree to perform a certain number of concerts in 2022, arranged for them by Trondheim Chamber Music Competition and Trondheim Chamber Music Festival. 
16. The official language of TICC is English. 

Anthony Marwood (leader), violin

Photo: Pia Johnson

Trondheim International Chamber Music Competition is delighted to present Anthony Marwood as head of the jury. London-born Anthony Marwood is an internationally renowned soloist, director and chamber musician. He has a wide circle of regular collaborators as a chamber musician and was violinist of the Florestan Trio for 16 years. Many leading composers have written concertos for him, including Thomas Adès, Steven Mackey, Sally Beamish and Samuel Carl Adams. He is a prolific recording artist with 50 releases on the Hyperion label. Anthony, who resides in Sussex and Amsterdam, is co-Artistic Director of the Peasmarsh Chamber Music Festival in East Sussex. Anthony Marwood was head of the TICC jury in 2015 and a jury member in 2011.
Read more on Anthony Marwood´s personal website.

Anja Lechner, cello 

 
Photo: Martin Hangen

Anja Lechner performs as soloist with leading orchestras, as a chamber musician, and as creative participant in diverse projects between the genres. The range of her musical interests is reflected in more than twenty albums for ECM Records with a great variety of collaborators. Composers who have written music for her range from Valentin Silvestrov, Tigran Mansurian, Tõnu Kõrvits, Hooshyar Khayam, Zad Moultaka to Dino Saluzzi. Lechner was a founding member of the Rosamunde Quartet, with whom she worked for 18 years until the group’s dissolution in 2009, and she has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with Argentine bandoneon master Dino Saluzzi.
Read more on Anja Lechner´s personal website.

Arisa Fujita, violin

 
Photo: Pau Codina

Arisa has performed extensively worldwide both as a soloist and as a member of the distinguished Fujita Piano Trio formed with her two sisters. She is currently Professor of Violin at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and has previously held the same position at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London for nearly two decades. She has collaborated with various artists including Joshua Bell, Martin Lovett, Murray Perahia, Alexander Rudin and Steven Isserlis, with whom she has performed on numerous occasions. Arisa is also first violinist of the prize-winning Gémeaux Quartett.
Read more on Fujita Piano Trio´s website.

Berit Cardas, viola

Photo: Anna Julia Granberg

Berit plays both the viola and the violin and is frequently appearing as a soloist on both instruments. She is an active chamber music teacher and the workshops she does combining her background in theater improvisation and chamber music have become very popular. Berit is also a sought-after leader of chamber orchestras with her original and uncompromising view on music making.
In 1984 she founded the Vertavo String Quartet, where she has changed back and forth between 1st, 2nd violin and viola. The quartet is still going strong, with an interesting and steady career, including regular visits to exciting festivals and great venues like Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall and the Amsterdam Concertgebow. Berit and the Vertavo String Quartet have visited TICC the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival several times, most recently as academy instructors and festival artists in 2020.
Read more on the Vertavo String Quartet´s website.

Christian Ihle Hadland, piano

Photo: Nikolaj Lund

Christian has established himself as a true craftsman of the piano, a musician whose delicate, refined playing and individual touch have led him to the most prestigious stages in the world. He is highly sought after as a chamber musician and has embarked upon a notable partnership with the award-winning Swedish violinist Johan Dalene. Christian has been Artistic Director of the International Chamber Music Festival in Stavanger, his hometown, since 2010. He appears regularly at The Wigmore Hall, where he gave his debut solo recital in 2013, and is a regular guest at the Risør Chamber Music Festival and at the Bergen International Festival in Norway.
Read more on Christian Ihle Hadland´s personal website.

Louise Hopkins, cello

Louise Hopkins enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, soloist and cello professor. She has performed in venues internationally collaborating with artists including Thomas Adès, Aleksandar Madzar, András Keller, Dénes Várjon, Tamara Stefanovich, François Leleux, Emmanuel Pahud , Phillipe Graffin, Alexander Janiczek, and the Takács Quartet. The Times commented on her performance of Lutosławski’s Cello Concerto with the composer conducting at the Barbican Hall that ‘players with such personality, agility and power are rare’. 

Louise has participated at major chamber music festivals. She has also been a regular participant at the Prussia Cove Open Chamber Music for over 20 years and has been broadcast on the BBC, RTE, WFMT, Swiss Romande, ABC, New Zealand Radio and Radio France. Louise is frequently invited to give masterclasses internationally and has held teaching positions at the Yehudi Menuhin School and Bern Hochschule. She is currently the Head of Strings and a cello professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama having begun her teaching career there at the age of 26. The youngest professor to have been appointed at the Guildhall School at that time.

Louise is an experienced jury member and has participated on the juries of Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, Banff and Amsterdam Biennale cello competition to name a few. She was a TICC jury member and festival artist at the Trondheim Chamber Music Festival in 2013.

Stefan Mendl, piano

Photo: Nancy Horowitz

Stefan Mendl started his piano education with Manfred Wagner-Artzt and later studied with Alexander Jenner at the University of Music in Vienna. In his early career he appeared regularly as a soloist in Austria and abroad. He was a founding member of the Vienna Piano Trio in 1988, which soon became one of Europe’s leading chamber ensembles. The trio studied with artists like the Haydn Trio Wien, Isaac Stern and members of the LaSalle and Guarneri Quartets. Numerous CD´s have gained international acclaim, such as Gramophone Editor´s Choice and Echo-Klassik in 2010 and 2012. Stefan appears frequently in duo-recitals with cellist Clemens Hagen and works regularly with artists like Jörg Widmann, Ruth Ziesak and Mark Padmore. He has given masterclasses at several acknowledged music institutions and frequently appears as a jury-member in various chamber music competitions. Stefan teaches Chamber Music at the University of Music and Performing Arts -mdw in Vienna. He was a TICC Academy instructor and festival artist in 2022.

Stage I:

1) Choose one of the following trios:
- W. A. Mozart: K. 496, K. 502, K. 564
- L.v. Beethoven: one of the trios from Op. 1. 

2) Choose one of the following trios:
-M. Ravel, Trio in A minor 
-D. Shostakovich: Trio No. 2, E minor, Op. 67
-C. Ives: Piano Trio

Stage II:

1) Compulsory:
Commissioned trio. 
New work of approximately 10 minutes specially commissioned for the competition, composed by a Norwegian composer. Contestants will receive the music approximately two months in advance of the competition.
 
2) Choose one of the following trios:
- J. Brahms (all trios)
- A. Dvorák: F minor op. 65
- R. Schumann: Piano Trio Nr. 2 in F major, op.80 
- R. Schumann: Piano Trio no 1 in D minor op 63
- F. Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor, Op. 49
- F. Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66

Available choice for Stage II only if a Mozart Trio is chosen for Stage I:

- L.v. Beethoven: D major op. 70 no 1 ”Ghost”

Finale:

1) Choose one of the following trios:

- L.v. Beethoven: E flat major op. 70 no 2
- L.v. Beethoven: B flat major op. 97 ”Archduke”
- F. Schubert: Piano Trio No. 1 in B flat major, D 898
- F. Schubert: Piano Trio No. 2 in E-flat major, D. 929

Each ensemble must therefore prepare 5 works 

For application repertoire, see Rules, paragraph 6 e.

Apply here!