Recital: Astatine Trio

The Programme

Berniya Hamie – piano
Julia Błachuta – violin
Riya Hamie – cello

Piano Trio in D major, Op 70 No 1 ‘Ghost’
i. Allegro vivace e con brio
ii. Largo assai ed espressivo
iii. Presto

The Artists

Formed at the Royal College of Music in 2021, the Astatine Trio were First Prize winners at the 2022 Senior Intercollegiate Piano Trio Competition as the youngest entrants, with an average age of less than 19 – the decision by jury members Raphael Wallfisch, Anthony Marwood and Tom Poster was unanimous. They went on to win the First Prize and Luigi Boccherini Prize of the International Virtuoso & Belcanto Chamber Competition (held in Lucca, Italy) in July 2022 and are the youngest of the six groups chosen to advance to the final stages of the Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Competition in November 2022.

In July 2022 the trio were selected by the Virtuoso & Belcanto Festival for a public masterclass with Alfred Brendel, after which they were invited by the legendary artist to work with him further. They have also been chosen as one of four groups participating in ChamberStudio’s Hans Keller Forum for 2022/23, receiving mentoring from Alasdair Beatson, John Myerscough and Richard Ireland at three intensive residencies across the academic year. They have benefited from regular coaching with Prach Boondiskulchok (Linos Piano Trio) and have also worked with Luc-Marie Aguera (Ysaÿe Quartet), Adrian Brendel (Nash Ensemble), Riccardo Cecchetti (Trio Voces Intimae), Peter Nagy, Michał Kaznowski (Maggini Quartet), Michał Cwicewicz (Minerva Trio), Mark Messenger and members of the Harlem Quartet.

The trio regularly perform in the UK and abroad – past and upcoming engagements include performances at Wigmore Hall (as part of the RCM’s String Showcase concert in May 2022), the Austrian Cultural Forum, Gloucester Music Society and St Mary’s Perivale – and they recently became a member of Talent Unlimited. They are grateful for the support of Maggie Grimsdell (Music at Longhill Road) and the Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust.

Julia Błachuta plays a 2019 violin made by Polish luthier Jan Pawlikowski and Riya Hamie plays on a George Panormo cello – on loan from the Benslow Music Instrument Loan Scheme since January 2020 – which was kindly donated by the late Walter Cheney.