Biography
The Trio Jean Paul, founded in 1991, is one of today’s most distinguished chamber music ensembles and a popular guest at the international concert venues.
Among the highlights of the latest seasons were concerts at the Konzerthaus Vienna, at “Phiharmonie” Berlin and Cologne, at “Palais des Beaux Arts” Brussels, at “Glocke” Bremen, “Wigmore Hall” London, “Tonhalle” Zurich and “Laeiszhalle” Hamburg as well as the renowened Sociedad Filarmónica in Bilbao, Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon and Liceo de Cámara in Madrid. Concerts in Los Angeles, Dallas, Boston, New York, Vancouver, Quebec and Montreal marked their last tours of the US and Canada.
After First Prizes at the international competitions in Osaka (1993), Melbourne (1995) and the German Music Competition, an extensive concert career has developed which has led the ensemble on a regular basis to major musical centers such as New York, London, Berlin, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels as well as on tours to Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South America and the USA. Master classes and performances at international festivals (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein, Kissinger Sommer, Ludwigsburger Festspiele, Schubertiade Feldkirch, Rheingau Festival, Lucerne Festival, Kuhmo, Edinburgh Festival). Regular cooperation with musicians like Sharon Kam, Nobuko Imai, Paul Meyer, Lars Anders Tomter and Vladimir Mendelssohn adds to the multifarious artistic work of the Trio.
By naming their ensemble after the author Jean Paul, the three musicians not only refer to their special affinity for the works of Robert Schubmann, but also to the fundamental artistic idea of making the music’s speech-like and rhetorical elements to the point of departure for their interpretations. This approach draws a line from the works of the Classical period, via the Romantic idea of the “poetic music” to the music of today. An important area of the Trio’s work is therefore its occupation with the contemporary repertoire as numerous world premieres by famous composers such as Martin Christoph Redel, Kee Yong Chong, Michael Denhoff, Albrecht Gürsching, Gordon Kerry, Volker David Kirchner and Wolfgang Rihm show.
A recent highlight has been the world premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s triple concerto, dedicated to Trio Jean Paul, at the “Berliner Festwochen” with Cologne Radio Symphony Orchestra and Jukka-Pekka Saraste in September 2014. Acclaimed by the press, further performances took place with the NRD Radiophilharmonie in Hannover under the direction of Eiji Oue, the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich under the direction of Sylvain Cambreling and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jaap van Zweden.
Their CD with Brahm’s Trio op.8, B-major (version 1854) and Schönberg’s “Transfigured Night” (adaption for piano by Eduard Steuermann 1931/32) has been honored with the “Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik”. Several of the Trio’s recordings were labeled ‘referential’ by Swiss radio DRS CD comparisons. The Mendelssohn and Schubert CDs were also honored with the “SuperSonic Award”.
Most recent recordings include Trios by Joseph Haydn and the two string sextets by Johannes Brahms in the version for piano trio by Theodor Kirchner.
Testimonials:
Once again this German ensemble has proven that it belongs among the world’s leading piano trios
– Ensemble 2/2012
There is this exuberant, flourishing and at the same time silver-tongued sound, there is this enormous homogeneity of the musical action, there is this stupendous virtuosity of all participants, which is always based on sustainable mental work.
– Rondo-Magazin
Most impressive was the trio´s expert control of timbre. The players are musical chameleons.
– The Boston Globe, April 2015
