Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Trio in E flat major, op 70, no 2
James MacMillan - 14 Little Pictures for Piano Trio

The Gould Piano Trio has been compared in the Washington Post to the great Beaux Arts Trio for their “musical fire” and “dedication to the genre” and has remained at the forefront of the international chamber music scene for well over a quarter of a century.

Their programme begins with Beethoven’s Piano Trio in E-flat major, Op. 70 No. 2, a work of genial character and subtle complexity which exemplifies Beethoven at his most lyrical and inventive, combining elegant melodies with moments of profound depth.

Balancing tradition with modern expression, the Trio will also present James MacMillan’s 14 Little Pictures, an extraordinary sequence of miniatures that juxtaposes striking contrasts of colour, texture, and mood. Each movement offers a distinct snapshot, together forming a work of both variety and cohesion.

Experience chamber music of the highest calibre, performed by an ensemble at the pinnacle of its artistry.

The Gould Piano Trio has been compared in the Washington Post to the great Beaux Arts Trio for their “musical fire” and “dedication to the genre” and has remained at the forefront of the international chamber music scene for over a quarter of a century.

Launched by winning first prize at the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, they were European Concert Halls Organisation “Rising Stars”, making a highly successful debut at New York’s Weill Recital Hall, described by Strad Magazine as “Pure Gould”. Their many appearances at London’s Wigmore Hall have included the complete piano trios of Dvořák, Mendelssohn and Schubert, and they returned to this iconic venue to present a Beethoven Cycle in the 2022-2023 season.

The Trio’s passionate belief in the importance of developing new repertoire has resulted in commissioning works from many contemporary composers, including Sir James MacMillan, Mark Simpson, John Casken and Andrew Chen. Together with clarinettist Robert Plane, the trio are artistic directors of the Corbridge Chamber Music Festival in Northumberland which celebrated its 21st anniversary with a much-acclaimed new commission from Huw Watkins for clarinet and piano trio entitled Four Fables.

Tours of North America, the Far East, Europe and New Zealand have been interspersed by adventurous recording projects, including releases on Naxos, Chandos, Somm, Resonus, NMC and Champs Hill. Recent additions to their extensive discography include John Casken’s piano trio, a disc of works by Charles Ives, Rebecca Clarke and Amy Beach, and the first volume of their Schubert Piano Trio cycle.

The album of chamber music by Pamela Harrison from the Gould Piano and Robert Plane, curated by Robert Plane, was released by Resonus Classics in early 2023, and was featured as one of Gramophone Magazine’s “best new classical albums this week”. The Goulds have now embarked on their next major recording project, the seven Heinrich Marschner Piano Trios and two Piano Quartets, and returned to the studio earlier this year to record the second album in this series. The first Marschner volume was released in December 2024 by Naxos.