TRIO WANDERER
''It was immediately obvious that the Trio Wanderer’s recital at Wigmore Hall would be exceptional. No artist this month has captured the essence of the music like this French ensemble; that says a lot about the quality of their performance. – They have a musical sensitivity that borders on telepathy. -What is so impressive is their mastery of the emotional panorama of the music. In short, a grand experience."
- The Strad (UK)
'' (…) The legendary Beaux-arts trio has now found its true successor. (…) Besides being brilliant soloists, when they play together they become an entity that, as if in a waking dream, travels with an infallible instinct through the music''
- Die Rheinpfalz (Schwetzinger Festspiele – Germany)
Celebrated by the press for playing of extraordinary sensitivity and dazzling virtuosity as well as an almost telepathic complicity, the Wanderer Trio has become over the years an essential group on the international music scene. Trio Wanderer is one of the world’s foremost chamber ensembles. The ensemble features Vincent Coq, piano, Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian, violin, and Raphaël Pidoux on cello.
All graduated from the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique. In 1989/90, they studied at the Jacobs School of Music: Indiana University Bloomington and at The Juilliard School in New York. During this period, they participated in masterclasses with such masters as Jean-Claude Pennetier, Jean Hubeau, Janos Starker, Menahem Pressler of the Beaux Arts Trio, and the Amadeus Quartet. In 1988, the Trio won the ARD Competition in Munich and, in 1990, the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the USA.
The Trio has performed on the most prestigious music stages: Berlin’s Philharmonic, Paris’s Théâtre des Champs Elysées, Wiener Musikverein in Vienna, London’s Wigmore Hall, Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, the Sydney Opera, Barcelona’s Palau de la Musica, München Herkulessaal of Munich, Sala Sao Paulo, the Beijing Opera, the Seoul Art Center, The Great Hall of the Moscow Tchaïkovsky Conservatory, Washington’s Library of Congress, Rio de Janeiro’s Teatro Municipal, Montreal’s Place des Arts, the Brussels Center for Fine Arts (Bruxelles Palais des Beaux-Arts), Tokyo’s Kioi Hall, Zürich’s Tonhalle, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw.
They have also performed at major festivals such as Edinburgh, Bergen, Bath, Montreux, Feldkirch Schubertiades, Schleswig Holstein, Rheingau Musiksommmer, Colmar, La Roque d’Anthéron, the Folles Journées de Nantes, Granada, Stresa, Osaka, Salzburg, and more.
They have on many occasions collaborated with artists such as Yehudi Menuhin, Christopher Hogwood, Louis Langrée, Pascal Verrot, James Loughran, Fayçal Karoui, Marco Guidarini, Arie van Beek, Benoit Fromanger, Wilson Hermanto, François-Xavier Roth, Michelangelo Veltri, Ion Marin, José Areán, Charles Dutoit, and James Conlon.
They have been accompanied in triple or double concertos by such orchestras as Toulouse, Nice, Pau, Montpellier, Picardie, Radio-France’s Orchestre National and Orchestre Philharmonique, Budapest’s Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Staatsphilharmonie Nürnberg, Berlin’s Radio Symphonic Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Köln’s Gürzenich Orchester, the Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, among many others.
In addition to records for Sony Classical, Universal, Cyprès, Mirare and Capriccio, the Trio Wanderer began a collaboration with Harmonia Mundi in 1999. Twenty recordings have been issued since then, including the complete trios by Schubert and Brahms, and Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Gürzenich-Kölner Philharmoniker, and lately the piano quartet, quintet and trios by Schmann.
These recordings have received many awards: Choc of the year by Classica, The Strad ‘Recommends’, Editor’s Choice by Gramophone, CD of the month by Fono Forum, CD of the Month by BBC Music Magazine, Diapason d’Or of the Year, Midem Classical Award.
Their interpretation of trios by Mendelssohn was chosen as a standard reference by the New-York Times on the occasion of the bi-centenary of the composer’s birth, as was their interpretation of Schubert’s trio opus 100 in 2016 by the BBC, from amongst fourteen contenders. Their most recent recording, released in 2023, is devoted to Franck Quintet, Trio and violin Sonata.
The Trio Wanderer was awarded three times the “Victoire de la Musique” in France as “Best Chamber Music Ensemble” and each member of the trio has been promoted to the rank of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.
In addition to their numerous radio and television recordings (Radio France, BBC, ARD, Mezzo), the Trio Wanderer was the subject of a film made by the French-German television company ARTE, broadcast in June 2003. In 2017, for the Trio’s 30th anniversary, a book written by Olivier Bellamy, tracing the history of the Trio, was published by Art3 Edition.Since 2014 Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian and Raphaël Pidoux are appointed violin and cello professors at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris, and Vincent Coq is teaching of the chamber music class at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne since 2010.
" Admirable, balanced, transparent and homogeneous – the
Wanderers retain intimacy above all, expressing themselves without sentimentality, intertwining their lines, singing, fighting, reining back.”
Classica Magazine, 2021
DISCOGRAPHY
PROGRAMMES
Proposals 2024-2026
FROM THE TWILLIGHT OF FRENCH ROMANTICISM TO THE DAWN OF MODERNISM (Music available on the Trio Wanderer next CD released in 2025) Lalo : Trio op. 26 (1881) (27’) Mel Bonis : Soir - Matin (1907) (10’) Ravel : Trio (1914) (28’) Debussy : Trio (1880) (22’) Mel Bonis : Soir - Matin (1907) (10’) Debussy : Sonata for piano & violin (1916) (15’) Debussy : Sonata for piano & cello (1918) (13’) Ravel : Trio (1914) (28’)
2025 - SHOSTAKOVICH 50th ANNIVERSARY (1919 - 1975) Shostakovich : Trio op. 8 (13’) Shostakovich : Trio op. 67 (32’) ***intermission*** Chostakovich : Piano Quintet op. 57 for piano, 2 violins, viola & cello Shostakovich : Trio op. 8 (13’) Shostakovich : Trio op. 67 (32’) Shostakovich : Romances op. 127 for piano, violin, cello & soprano (29’)
2024 – BEDRICH SMETANA ANNIVERSARY (1824-1884) A program with three Czech composers, influenced by their native country folklore ; Smetana : Trio op. 15 (28’) Martinu : Trio N°2 (16’) Dvorak : Trio op. 90 ‘Dumky’ (32’) or op. 65 (40’)
SCHUMANN – COMPLETE PIANO TRIOS AND MORE In one concert Trio op. 80 (27') Trio op. 110 (29') Trio op. 63 (29’) In two concerts Trio op. 80 (27') Trio op. 110 (29') Quartet for piano, violin, viola & cello op. 47 (27’) II : Fantasiestücke op. 88 (18’) Trio op. 63 (28') Quintet for piano violins viola & cello op. 44 (30’)
COMPOSERS COMPLETE WORKS FOR PIANO TRIO Beethoven complete piano trios (3 concerts) I : Trio op. 1 N°1 (29’) Variations op. 121 “Kakadu” (16’) Trio op. 70 N°1 “Les Esprits” (30’) II : Trio op. 11 (18’) Trio op. 1 N°2 (29’) Trio op. 70 N°2 (30’) III : Trio op. 1 N°3 (29’) Variations op. 44 (13’) Trio op. 97 “Archiduke” (36’) 2. Brahms complete piano trios Trios op. 87 (30’) Trio op. 101 (24’) Trio op. 8 version 1891 (33’) 3. Schubert complete piano trios Trio op. 99 (38') Notturno op. posth. 148 (9') Trio op. 100 (42')
2025 - RAVEL 150th ANNIVERSARY (1875 - 1937) Ravel : Sonata for piano & violin (1927) (20’) Ravel : Trio (1914) (1922) (21’) Ravel : Trio (1914) (28’) Saint-Saëns : Trio op. 18 (28’) Tailleferre : Trio (1917, revision 1978) (14’) Ravel : Trio (1914) (28’)
2024 – GABRIEL FAURÉ ANNIVERSARY (1845 - 1924) A program with three pieces form composers linked to Fauré Fauré : Trio op. 120 (18’) Boulanger : D’un Soir triste, d’un Matin de Printemps (17’) Ravel : Trio (Ravel studied composition with Fauré) (29’) Fauré : Piano Quartet op. 13 (31’) Fauré : Trio op.120 (18’) Fauré : Piano quartet op. 45 (31’)
CESAR FRANCK (Franck pieces available on the Trio Wanderer new CD released in May 2023) Franck and his pupils Franck : Trio op. 1 N°1 (29’) D’Indy : Trio op. 98 (24’) Chausson : Trio op. 3 (32’) Franck, from Duo to Quintet Franck : Sonata for piano and violin (27’) Franck : Trio op.1 n°1 (30’) Franck : Quintet for piano violins viola & cello (30’)
WAR - Shostakovich - Trio op. 67 (32’) Messiaen - Quartet for the End of Time, piano, violin, violoncello & clarinet (58’) Ravel - Trio (28’) Boulanger – D’un Soir triste, d’un Matin de Printemps (17’) Vierne – Piano Quintet (32’)
SCHUBERTIADES (two concerts) Sonate Arpeggione for piano & cello (24') Grand Duo op. 162 for piano & violin (25') Trio op. 100 (42') Trio op. 99 (38') Notturno op. posth. 148 (9') ‘Trout’ Quintet op. 114 for piano, violin, viola, violoncello & double bass (40')
THEMATIC PROGRAMMES
WIEN TO PRAG I : Haydn -Trio Hob. XV : 31 (12’) Beethoven - Trio op. 97 Archiduke (36’) Schubert - Trio op. 100 (42’) II : Haydn - Trio Hob XV : 27 (14') Beethoven - Trio op. 70 N°1 (30’) Haydn - Trio Hob. XV : 31 (12’) Beethoven - Trio op. 70 N° 2 (30’) III : Haydn - Trio Hob. XV : 31 (12’) Schubert - Trio op. 100 (42’) Dvorak - Trio op. 65 (40’)
AMERICA Bloch - Nocturnes (12’) Copland - Vitebsk (14’) Bernstein - Trio (17’) Brahms - Trio op. 8 (version 1854) (world premiere in New-York 1854)
CLARA SCHUMANN CIRCLE Robert Schumann - Trio op. 63 Clara Schumann - Trio op. 17 Brahms - Trio op. 8 (1854)
FRENCH MUSIC FROM ROMANTICISM TO NOWADAYS Ravel - Trio (28’) or Chausson - Trio op. 3 (32’) or Franck : Trio op.1 n°1 (30’) Escaich - Lettres Mêlées (2003) (18’) or Christian Rivet – Courant d’Etoiles (14’) Saint-Saëns - Trio op. 92
RUSSIAN SOUL I : Arenski - Trio op. 32 (31’) Shostakovich - Trio op. 8 (14’) Rachmaninov - Trio op. 9 (43’) II : Rachmaninov - Trio N°1 (13’) Shostakovich - Trio op. 67 (32') Tchaïkovski - Trio op. 50 (45')
CZECH NATIONAL REVIVAL Smetana - Trio op. 15 (28’) Suk - Elegie (7') Dvorak - Trio op. 65 (40’) or op. 90 Dumky (30)
CLARA SCHUMANN CIRCLE Robert Schumann - Trio op. 63 Clara Schumann - Trio op. 17 Brahms - Trio op. 8 (1854)
CONTEMPORARY PIECES
Thierry Escaich - Lettres Mêlées (world premiere by Trio Wanderer 2004) (16’) Bruno Mantovani - Huits Moments Musicaux (world premiere by Trio Wanderer 2008) (15’) Bruno Mantovani - 5 Berceuses pour Giulia (world premiere by Trio Wanderer 2019) (15’) Christian Rivet – Courant d’Etoiles (14’) (world premiere by Trio Wanderer 2019) (14’)
SOME OTHER PROGRAMMES
Beethoven - Trio op. 70 N°1 or op. 70. N°2 (30’) Liszt - Tristia (16’) Rachmaninov - Trio op. 9 (43’) Haydn - Trio Hob. XV : 27 (15’) Mendelssohn - Trio op. 49 or 66 (28’) Schubert - Trio op. 100 (42’) Rachmaninov - Trio N°1 (13’) Smetana – Trio op. 15 (26’) or Dvorak – Trio op. 90 ‘Dumky’ (30’) Beethoven - Trio op. 97 Archiduke (36’) Haydn - Trio Hob. XV : 28 (14’) Smetana - Trio op. 15 (28’) or Dvorak – Trio op. 90 ‘Dumky’ (30’) Brahms - Trio op. 8 (33’) Schumann -Trio op. 63 (26’) Fauré - Trio op. 120 (18’) or Lili Boulanger - D’un Soir triste, d’un Matin de Printemps (17’) Shostakovich - Trio op. 67 (32') Schumann - Trio op. 80 Schubert - Notturno op. posth. 148 (9') Beethoven - Trio op. 97 Archiduke (36’) Saint-Saëns - Trio op. 18 (30’) Lili Boulanger - D’un Soir triste, d’un Matin de Printemps (17’) Smetana - Trio op. 15 (28’) Franck : Trio op.1 n°1 (30’) Liszt - Tristia (16’) Saint-Saëns - Trio op. 92 (33’) Chausson - Trio op. 3 (32’) or Franck : Trio op.1 n°1 (30’) Liszt - Tristia (16’) Brahms - Trio op. 8 (33’) Schumann - Trio op. 80 Bruno Mantovani - 5 Berceuses pour Giulia or Christian Rivet – Courant d’Etoiles (14’) Schubert - Trio op. 100 (42’)
PIANO TRIO & ORCHESTRA
Beethoven - Triple Concerto op. 56 for piano trio & orchestra (35’) Martinu – Concert for piano trio and string orchestra (20’) Martinu – Concertino for piano trio and string orchestra (17’) Hersant - Le Chant de l’Isolé for piano trio, string orchestra & bells (16’) (world premiere by Trio Wanderer in 2014) Ghedini – Concerto del Albatro for piano trio, orchestra and narrator (35’) Casella – Triple concerto op. 56 (28mn)