InClassica Festival Continues with Appearance of Famed Trio Wanderer
Titled ‘Tribute to Romanticism’, last night’s concert provided a fascinating exploration of arguably classical music’s most popular genre, including a work by Alexey Shor inspired by the romantic. The evening was characterised by flowing lyrical passages, exciting changes in dynamics and phrasing, and superbly coordinated ensemble playing that presented an ensemble which, while having three distinct voices, brought a uniquely unified character to the performance.
The inspiration for the group’s name pays homage to the composer Schubert, and, in a more general sense, very aptly the spirit of German Romanticism — a style of classical music imbued with the almost mythical figure of the wandering traveller. Comprising pianist Vincent Coq, violinist Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian and cellist Raphaël Pidoux, Trio Wanderer has developed a reputation as one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles, regularly performing to packed audiences in such prestigious venues as the Musikverein Vienna, Berlin Philharmonie, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and Wigmore Hall, to name a few. They have performed in triple concertos with some of the world’s most acclaimed orchestras, including Orchestre National de France, the Radio Symphonie Orchester in Berlin, National Philharmonic Orchestra in Moscow, Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, and the Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, amongst many others. Awards include Editor’s Choice by Gramophone, CD of the Month by BBC Music Magazine, Diapason d’Or de l’Année, and in 2015, Trio Wanderer’ members were bestowed with the title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier dans l’ordre des Arts et Lettres).
Speaking of their experience presenting the Dubai premiere of Alexey Shor’s Piano Trio in B Minor, a piece performed second in the programme, the trio noted: “In a way we knew Mr Shor before because we‘ve played one of his pieces already two years ago, so it was not a surprise for us because we’re familiar with his works and we’ve played his first trio. It was a very enjoyable piece once again. He’s a very nice person himself and it’s always a pleasure to play his music.” Mr Shor enjoys a prolific international career that has seen his music performed in such locations as the Wiener Musikverein, Berlin Philharmonie and Carnegie Hall, and in 2020 the London Symphony Orchestra recorded his Images from the Great Siege and Verdiana works for the Naxos label.
This appearance at InClassica represents the trio’s first performance in Dubai, with the ensemble commenting of the city’s Opera: “It’s a wonderful hall. A very nice hall with great acoustics and very enjoyable to play in. One of the best halls we’ve performed at.” Speaking to members of the audience after the performance, this maiden voyage for the wandering musicians clearly made quite the impression, with one visitor noting that the concert was, “Such an amazing performance, they were absolutely wonderful to watch. I can’t wait to get the chance to experience them again.” The concert formed the second installment of InClassica, a festival noted for — in addition to the breadth and quality of its programming — its unique potential to expand and develop the reach of classical music in the region. Testifying to the impact of the festival on the local classical music landscape, one audience member exclaimed: “It’s so great that musicians of this calibre are coming to perform in Dubai. This festival is such a good thing for Dubai and I hope it only marks the beginning of something new for classical music in the UAE.”
This venture in Dubai signifies the latest in a growing list of events organised and promoted by the European Foundation for Support of Culture and SAMIT Event Group. The EUFSC is a Malta-based organisation that seeks to support cultural initiatives around the world, with past projects including events in Europe, Asia and the Americas. When asked about their experience working with the organisers, the trio responded: “Everything has been perfect! There’s nothing more that we could have asked for. It has all been very splendid and things have been very well organised all throughout.”
“It was a real pleasure to present Trio Wanderer at our festival and their performance was truly remarkable! I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the trio, and we look forward to welcoming them to another event in the future.” — Konstantin Ishkhanov, President of the EUFSC
The InClassica International Music Festival runs until September 26th. For full details, visit the official website.