Kungsbacka Piano Trio round off Chichester Chamber Concerts season

Kungsbacka Piano Trio give the final concert in the 2016-2017 Chichester Chamber Concerts season (Thursday, March 16, Assembly Room, Chichester Council House, North Street).
Kungsbacka Piano Trio: credit Hanya Chlala bigKungsbacka Piano Trio: credit Hanya Chlala big
Kungsbacka Piano Trio: credit Hanya Chlala big

Malin Broman (violin), Jesper Svedberg (cello) and Simon Crawford-Phillips (piano) will play Boulanger – D’un Soir Triste; Ravel – Piano Trio in A minor; Pärt⁄Mozart – Adagio; and Schubert – Piano Trio in B flat D898.

The Trio established itself by winning first prize in the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition and joining BBC Radio 3’s New Generation Artists’ scheme.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They have a strong connection with Sweden through founder member Malin Broman and perform regularly throughout the country.

Simon said: “Malin and I were thrown together by chance to play in a festival in Scotland in 1996. We knew after that first meeting that we’d like to continue to work as a duo, and fortunately were asked to return the following year and form an ensemble-in-residence at the festival. Some of the proposed repertoire was for piano trio and so we needed a cellist to join us. Malin immediately thought of Jesper whom she had known since their days in youth orchestra together…and so the trio was born!

“We didn’t have any plans to start a trio!! We had simply decided to play a concert in preparation for our time at the Northlands Festival and so Malin, Jesper and I organised one in Malin’s hometown of Kungsbacka, Sweden. The local press came and called us the Kungsbacka Piano Trio and we didn’t have the heart to change the name!

“Another promoter who came to the concert secretly put us forward for a major competition in Sweden which was entered by nomination only. Suddenly we had to learn some new pieces and fortunately went on to win the competition. With that came more concerts and the need for more repertoire! We’ve never looked back.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We were lucky enough to win an audition for management with the Young Concert Artists Trust in London who looked after our careers for the first few years. This combined with various competition successes and selection for the BBC New Generations Scheme and European Concert Halls Organistion Rising Stars programme meant we were able to gain valuable experience both on and off the stage.

“We all studied a lot with various teachers not only individually but also as a trio and I think this common ground was fundamental to forming a united musical voice and understanding. Having the same approach when we come to study any new piece has made our work much more satisfying and effective. Over and above this all three of us have managed to continue with many other musical partnerships and projects and this diversity as kept our playing together fresh and energised.

“One nice aspect of a trio is that someone can always have the casting vote. We have two men against one woman, two Swedes against one Brit, and one couple against one single so disputes are always easily resolved! Unless of course we all don’t agree in which case we probably haven’t found a good solution anyway!

“The core trio repertoire (unlike the seemingly-endless string quartet oeuvre) is just about graspable for an established group and over the years we have played almost all of it. It is wide and rich spanning all eras of music (apart from perhaps the Baroque) but we have always been keen to seek out the forgotten masterpieces or the maverick composers that history has neglected.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Our programme in Chichester is a perfect example: Trios by Franz Schubert and Maurice Ravel, two of the cornerstones of the repertoire together with the relatively unknown genius of Lili Boulanger and a relatively-rare work by one of today’s most famous living composers, Arvo Pärt.

“Jesper holds the principal cello position in the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra so is here all the time! Although based in Stockholm, Malin and I are here very regularly for various concerts and projects, often with the trio. Wherever we end up in our lives, the UK and particularly London will feel like our musical home as this is where we spent our formative years.”

Tickets on 01243 781312.

Don't miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you'll be amongst the first to know what's going on.

1) Make our website your homepage

2) Like our Facebook page

3) Follow us on Twitter

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

4) Register with us by clicking on 'sign in' (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don't miss out!

Always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.

Related topics: