TRIO IMMERSIO (Austria / Ukraine, The Netherlands, Georgia)
Mariam Vardzelashvili, piano
Vira Zhuk, violin
Irene Kok, cello
Programme:
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), Piano trio in B-flat major, K. 502
Franz Schubert (1797–1828), Notturno in E-flat major, D. 897
Felix Mendelssohn (1809—1847), Piano trio in D minor, no. 1, op. 49
Trio Immersio, one of Vienna’s top chamber music ensembles, is “the definition of refined female power in classical music” according to the Times of Malta. Concert activities have brought this multi-cultural ensemble to 20 countries on four continents, including tours of Japan, the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Tunisia.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the ensemble continues to be active with concerts and recordings. Highlights of this season include recitals at the Haydn festival in Rohrau and the inaugural moz.art festival in Gloggnitz, Austria, a concert tour of Bulgaria and France, residency at the Iceberg Institute in Vienna and the recording of a Schubert CD. Unfortunately, the planned debut at the Konzerthaus Berlin had to be postponed due to the pandemic.
This exciting trio has been distinguished with a number of awards and prizes, including an award by the Brivio Sforza and Le Dimore del Quarteto Foundations as one of the best ensembles of 2019, and the Bank of Austria Prix d’Arts in 2016. They have also been awarded the prestigious New Sound of Austrian Music title by the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, naming them honorary representatives of Austrian musical culture and traditions.
The ensemble has performed at the Musikverein Wien, Wiener Konzerthaus, RadioKulturhaus Wien, Flagey in Brussels, Royal Danish Opera, Teatru Manoel in Malta, and other prestigious venues in Dakar, Istanbul, Bodrum, Kyiv, Tbilisi. They have also given concerts at numerous festivals, such as the Carthage festival in Tunisia and the 30th Morelia Festival in Mexico.
The intimate bond that Trio Immersio nurtures with the musical culture of Vienna is particularly expressed in their interpretation of works by Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert. They perceive and promote chamber music as a lifestyle, believing in full immersion into the world of vivid emotions, colours and ideas. Their particular authenticity and sincerity add to a special connection with the audiences worldwide.
The extraordinarily talented Kyiv-born violinist Vira Zhuk first performed at the Grand Hall of the Ukrainian National Philharmonic at the age of seven and made a solo debut with a Bach concerto when she was ten. While studying with Lyobov Marinenko and Yaroslawa Rivnyak, she gave numerous concerts all over Europe, Israel and Russia. She completed her studies in Vienna with the celebrated violinist Pavel Vernikov, all the while earning a diploma from the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole in Italy too. Renowned for her subtle melancholy sense, Zhuk has won prizes at the Oistrakh International Violin Competition, the Ukrainian National Competition, and many others. She has performed at prestigious venues in Madrid, Istanbul, Georgia, Brazil, Argentina. Her musical development has been influenced by Mauricio Fuks, Julian Rachlin and Menahem Pressler. Recently, she has started giving violin master classes as well, most notably at Tarapaca Musica Festival in Chile.
Irene Kok is an international prize winning Dutch cellist. Focusing on connecting the audience to the music has given her interpretation a much lauded brightness and expressiveness. With a specialization and interest in both early music and folk music, this moving, exciting cellist has a broad playing field. She feels at home on any stage from the most important concert halls in the world to small chamber music series and jazz clubs, travelling the globe with her instrument, hoping to inspire people. Kok trained at the conservatory in Amsterdam and at the University of Vienna with Prof. Reinhard Latzko. In 2019, she made her solo debut with the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra with Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1, conducted by Damian Iorio. Beside her work in Trio Immersio, she is a founding member of the intriguing Chimaera Trio which combines the cello, piano and the clarinet, as well as the Zenith Duo which brings together two cellos and vocals.
Mariam Vardzelashvili is a Vienna-based Georgian pianist. She debuted as a soloist with the Georgian National Radio and TV Orchestra at the age of 8, and has since enjoyed successful recitals and orchestral collaborations in more than 20 countries as a soloist and a chamber musician. She has played at distinguished venues such as the Kyiv Philharmonic, CRR Konser Salonu in Istanbul, the Tbilisi State Conservatoire, and participated in many festivals like the Durtal Festival in France, the Chilean Tarapaca Musica Fest and the GolfStream Festival in Kyiv. As a young musician, Vardzelashvili studied with the famous Georgian pianist Dr. Nino Katamadze. After receiving a Music Talent Award, Mariam continued her education in the U.S., Paris and finally in Vienna in solo and chamber music fields. She has trained with legendary musicians Alfred Brendel, Menahem Pressler and Claus-Christian Schuster. Her repertoire spans over 300 years of music of different styles with a particular interest in Viennese music, as well as contemporary works. She has worked with celebrated composers such as Wolfgang Rihm, Jörg Widmann, Johannes Maria Staud and Bernhard Gander.
Admission free.
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