Oct 24, 2012 | Wencke Wallbaum Artists Swiss Piano Trio convinced at Vancouver MusicFest

The Swiss Piano Trio won first prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in Caltanissetta (Italy) in 2003 and at the Johannes Brahms Competition (Austria) in 2005. In the same year, the Trio won the Swiss Ambassador's Award at Wigmore Hall. Today, the Swiss Piano Trio is one of the most acclaimed chamber ensembles of its generation.The Swiss Piano Trio has received important artistic impulses from Menahem Pressler (Beaux Arts Trio), Stephan Goerner (Carmina Quartet), Valentin Berlinsky (Borodin Quartet), from the Vienna Altenberg Trio, the Trio di Milano and the Amadeus Quartet.Founded in 1998, the ensemble has given many concerts in 40 countries in all continents. Highlights have included performances in concert halls such as the Zurich Tonhalle, Victoria Hall Geneva, London's Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Teatro Teresa Carreño Caracas and the Shanghai Grand Theatre.In performances of triple concertos, the Swiss Piano Trio performs as a soloists' ensemble together with orchestras such as the Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, the National Symphony Orchestra Ukraine, the Queensland Orchestra Brisbane, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and many more. The musicians regularly accept invitations to perform at renowned festivals and give masterclasses in many countries.Numerous recordings for radio, television and on disc with works by Mozart and Dvořák, as well as piano trios by the Swiss composers Paul Juon, Frank Martin and Daniel Schnyder document the artistic activities of the ensemble. From 2010, the Swiss Piano Trio has issued its recordings on the audite label where the piano trios by Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Schumann were already released. The recording of the piano trios by Mendelssohn was awarded a Pizzicato Supersonic and the US-Magazine Fanfare was writing about it: "...the most captivating performances of these works I think I've ever heard..." Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Swiss Piano Trio in 2008, the festival KAMMERMUSIK BODENSEE was created: its artistic director is the pianist of the ensemble, Martin Lucas Staub.