piano trio
"a soaring potency and impassioned eloquence"
The Strad
Matthew Johnson
Kaupo Kikkas
The understated nobility that they brought to Beethoven's 'Archduke' trio was superb.
The Times
Formed in 2012, the Leonore Piano Trio brings together three internationally acclaimed artists whose piano trio performances as part of Ensemble 360 were met with such enthusiastic response that they decided to form a piano trio in its own right. The Trio has since given concerts both at home and in many other parts of the world, combining a comprehensive repertoire of works by the celebrated classical and romantic composers; an unrivalled exploration of lesser-known and forgotten pieces from the 19th century; exciting and innovative performances for young audiences and a range of contemporary and new works.
"You’ll be purring with satisfaction at this exemplary new release from the Leonore Piano Trio. Enthusiasm isn’t always enough to prevent recordings of unfamiliar music from sounding raw but these performances feel fully matured—fresh, intelligent and strikingly stylish; edgy when they need to be and opening out generously when Parry’s romantic impulse demands it" Gramophone Magazine
Kaupo Kikkas
In 2015 the trio performed the complete Beethoven Piano Trios at Kings Place, London, as well as an even broader project including all his duo sonatas for piano with violin and cello. In 2019 they finished a complete cycle of trios and duos for Music in the Round, Sheffield.
The members of the Leonore Trio are keen exponents of contemporary music and have performed works by distinguished composers including Harrison Birtwistle and Huw Watkins. They gave the first performance of Holkham Beach, a piece written for and dedicated to the Trio by Simon Rowland-Jones. Their recording of the complete piano trios by David Matthews, for Toccata Classics, was hailed by the composer as "definitive".
As part of their commitment to education and outreach, the trio commissioned a narrated work for young audiences from Rachel Leach, based on the book by Steven Isserlis Why Beethoven Threw the Stew. It has proved to be an entertaining introduction to the music of Beethoven and the power of chamber music for all ages. Highlights for 2022 include the release of a new recording for Hyperion of Trios by Bargiel, to tremendous critical acclaim, and the premier of a new Trio from Hugh Watkins, jointly commissioned by Wigmore Hall, Music in the Round and the Presteigne Festival
Leonore Piano Trio records for Hyperion and has released eight recordings for the label in as many years, including unjustly neglected or forgotten works, receiving praise and critical acclaim both nationally and internationally.
"An outstanding artist" Musical Opinion
Benjamin Nabarro has performed throughout Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle and Far East, as a violin soloist, director and conductor. He has performed with the BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish Symphony, English Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia, among others.
Since 2009, Benjamin has been first violin of Ensemble 360. He also plays regularly as first violinist of the Nash Ensemble where he has appeared in concerts world-wide. He has made numerous recordings for Hyperion and Dutton. Concerto engagements include performances of works by Elgar, Glazounov, Mendelssohn, Mozart and Brahms, Watkins, James Francis Brown, Piazzola, Barber, Vivaldi and Bach. He has regularly been invited to the festivals of Cheltenham, BBC Proms, Aldeburgh, Bath, Presteigne, Schleswig Holstein, Mecklenberg-Vorpommern and Nuremberg, where he also made his conducting debut in 2012. In 2016 he conducted and played as soloist with the European Sinfonietta in a concert to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday in Gibraltar.
"Superbly played"
BBC Music Magazine
"She plays with disarming character and freshness"
Gramophone Magazine
Winner of the prestigious Pierre Fournier Award 2007, Gemma Rosefield made her concerto debut at the age of sixteen when she won First Prize in the European Music for Youth Competition in Oslo playing a televised performance of the Saint-Saens Concerto with the Norwegian Radio Symphony Orchestra. She has recorded the Complete Works for Cello and Orchestra by Sir Charles Stanford with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Andrew Manze for Hyperion.
Gemma gives some 50 performances a year as cellist of Ensemble 360, Royal Philharmonic Society Medal Winners 2013, whose performances are described by the Independent as ‘brimming with body and soul, with passion, vitality and virtuosity, whose performances never cease to amaze’.
Works have been written for her by David Matthews, Cecilia McDowall, James Francis Brown, Julian Dawes, Rhian Samuel, David Knotts and Michael Kamen.
Gemma performed the premiere of a new work for Cello and Choir by Cecilia McDowall at Westminster Abbey. She played Michael Ellison’s Concerto for Cello and Turkish Instruments with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Dvořák Cello Concerto with the Estonian National Orchestra and Vello Pähn, Elgar Cello Concerto at the Royal Festival Hall with the Philharmonia Orchestra. She gave the UK Premiere of Concello, for Cello and Orchestra, by Polish composer Maciej Zielinski at the Presteigne Festival and has since recorded this work.
Works have been written for her by David Matthews, Cecilia McDowall, James Francis Brown, Julian Dawes, Rhian Samuel, David Knotts and Michael Kamen.
Gemma plays on a cello made in Naples in 1704 by Alessandro Gagliano, formerly owned and played by the Prince Regent.
"Tim Horton gave a truly ferocious performance [of Prokofiev's Piano Sonata No 7]: the insistent, single-note bass of the final movement suggested the despair of a Soviet composer slamming his head against a brick wall"
The Guardian
Tim Horton is one of the leading pianists of his generation. In recent years he has presented a complete Beethoven Sonata cycle at the Crucible Studio, Sheffield for Music in the Round were he is currently engaged in a cycle of Schubert Sonatas. He was invited to make his solo debut at Wigmore Hall in 2016 where he will be giving further solo recitals in the coming seasons.
Following two performances of Schoenberg’s Piano Concerto with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle at Symphony Hall, Birmingham and the Royal Festival Hall, London in 1995, at the recommendation of Alfred Brendel, Tim was asked to give concerts with the RLPO, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra.
Tim has performed regularly at the Aldeburgh, Bath, Elverum, Plush, Presteigne, Midsummer Music and North Norfolk festivals. In 2018 he was invited to curate two weekends of concerts at the Plush Festival in Dorset. The repertoire included music from Gesualdo, through Bach, Haydn, Beethoven and Brahms, to Stockhausen, Kurtag, Boulez and Michael Berkeley performed by the Fieri Consort, The Heath Quartet, Sir Andras Schiff and many close colleagues from the world of chamber music.
Tim has been the pianist of Ensemble 360 since its creation in 2005. He performed with many leading chamber musicians including the Elias, Vertavo and Talich Quartets, Paul Lewis, Imogen Cooper, Alasdair Beatson, Bjorg Lewis, Robin Ireland (with whom he has released two discs), Peter Cropper, Adrian Brendel and Rachel Roberts