DELTA PIANO TRIO
Images: Sarah Wijzenbeek
Gerard Spronk, violin
Nuala McKenna, violoncello
Vera Kooper, piano
https://nuala-mckenna.com
Just like the best performances of this work (Dvorak) that I’ve heard, this performance has emotional depth, perfect ensemble, brilliant transitions. I give the Delta Piano Trio high praise for this performance. They’ve earned it!
“The Delta Piano Trio is a bright-eyed and talented ensemble of young musicians. I am delighted that they bring their gifts to my music with such passion and mature understanding.”
Lera Auerbach, composer
“Die Interpretation dieses Werkes durch das Delta Piano Trio kennzeichnete eine Durchdringung, wie man sie nur selten im Konzertsaal hört. In allen Parametern perfekt aufeinander abgestimmt, nach allen Extremen greifend, um die hier in Noten gefasste Tragik in ihrer ganzen Bandbreite fühlen zu lassen, musizierten sie hinreißend und konfrontierten die Zuhörer ohne Rücksicht mit dieser Schmerz überladenen Musik.”
Review of the Davos Festival on Klassik.com
The Delta Piano Trio was founded in 2013 in Salzburg (Austria) by three Dutch performers: violinist Gerard Spronk, cellist Irene Enzlin and pianist Vera Kooper
Widely considered as one of the most promising young ensembles, the Delta Piano Trio stands out with its personal sound, dedication and natural vigour. Their playing is honest, unaffected and passionate, merging three strong personalities into one musical entity. They approach chamber music as a form of communication, an exchange of ideas, and a shared road of reflection, discovery and evolution.
The Delta Piano Trio has an eclectic and personal choice of repertoire, encompassing the entire range of the piano trio literature. Always on the lookout for interesting repertoire, the trio collaborates regularly with contemporary composers and maintains a collaborative relationship with Russian-American composer Lera Auerbach.
The trio has won numerous awards and prizes, such as at the Stasys Vainiunas International Chamber Music Competition in Lithuania (2014), the Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition in Italy (2014), the Orlando International Chamber Music Competition in The Netherlands (2015) and the Orpheus Chamber Music Competition in Switzerland (2017).
In The Netherlands, the Delta Piano Trio received the prestigious Kersjes-prijs in 2021; the jury report reads: “The warm, lush sound, the perfect balance and the captivating playing of the Delta Piano Trio took us by surprise.”
With around fifty concerts each season, the trio has performed extensively in Europe, Russia, Israel, China, Korea, Indonesia and the United States in venues such as the Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), the National Center of Performing Arts (Beijing), the Gang Dong Art Center (Seoul), St. Johns Smith Square (London) and the Jerusalem Music Center.
The trio’s debut CD, featuring piano trios by Taneyev and Borodin, was released by Naxos. Both their second CD “The Mirror with Three Faces”, featuring works by Lera Auerbach and Dmitri Shostakovich, released on the American label Odradek Records, as well as their most recent recording “Origin”, released in 2022 on Challenge Classics, received international critical acclaim in various leading magazines, such as Diaspon, BBC Music Magazine and Gramophone.
Highlights of the past season included a collaboration on stage with Nobuko Imai, the commissioning by the Orpheus Competition of a trio by Swiss Composer Valentin Villard, the performance of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Basel Chamber Orchestra and a residency at the West Cork Chamber Music Festival.
The members of the trio frequently give chamber music masterclasses and love coaching younger ensembles. They studied and graduated in Salzburg, Paris and Basel with Wolfgang Redik (Vienna Piano Trio), Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet), Anton Kernjak and Trio Wanderer.
