St Andrews Concert Series features recital by the Delta Piano Trio

The fifth in the St Andrews Concert Series of six chamber music recitals for the St Andrews Music Club in association with the University Music Centre will feature the Delta Piano Trio.
Delta Piano Trio (Photo: Maxime Michaluk)Delta Piano Trio (Photo: Maxime Michaluk)
Delta Piano Trio (Photo: Maxime Michaluk)

Although hailing from The Netherlands, the trio’s first meeting was at the University Mozarteum, Salzburg. After a Dutch pancake evening in 2013 they decided to learn some piano trios and take lessons with two musicians who became a major influence – Wolfgang Redik (Vienna Piano Trio) and Rainer Schmidt (Hagen Quartet).

The trio has won numerous awards and prizes, including first prizes at the Stasys Vainiunas International Chamber Music Competition (Lithuania, 2014), the Salieri-Zinetti International Chamber Music Competition (Italy, 2014), the Orlando International Chamber Music Competition (Netherlands, 2015) and the Orpheus Chamber Music Competition (Switzerland, 2017).

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Gerard Hans Spronk started his violin studies in The Hague and finished his B. Mus. with Dutch violinist Vera Beths at the Conservatory of Amsterdam (2013). He completed his Masters at Salzburg in the class of violinist Pierre Amoyal and, subsequently, another Masters with Andreas Janke in Zurich.

Irene Enzlin (cello) was named ‘Young Musical Talent of the Year’ (2005) and studied at the Yehudi Menuhin School with Pierre Doumenge and Charles Watt, continuing her education at Salzburg with Clemens Hagen (Hagen Quartet), graduating in 2015 and later examinations in Paris and Bern.

Vera Kooper (piano) was enrolled at the Royal Conservatoire, The Hague and at Salzburg studying with George Kern, and with Konstantin Bogino in Bergamo. Throughout her studies she has received regular coaching from American pianist, Stephen Kovacevich.

The Delta Piano Trio enjoys a special relationship with Russian composer, Lera Auerbach. Whilst searching for contemporary repertoire the group fell in love with her piano trios, performing them regularly and, after writing to her about them, enjoying the opportunity to work on this music together with the composer. This experience has given these musicians a unique insight into her compositions.

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Piano Trio No. 1 is one of Auerbach’s earliest works, with fascinating allusions to 19th- and 20th-century musical traditions, yet with the addition of very specific effects which imbue her music with a unique spectrum of colours.

In 2017, their debut CD was published with works by Borodin and Taneyev. A second CD, The Mirror with Three Faces, was released last year, featuring Lera Auerbach and Shostakovich.

The Delta Piano Trio are at The Byre Theatre, St Andrews, on Thursday, March 14, at 7.30pm. Tickets are on sale at theatre box office and online at byretheatre.com.