The Barbican Piano Trio -
Gabrielle Lester - Violin Robert Max - Cello James Kirby - Piano
 Over the past fifteen years the Barbican Piano Trio has established itself as
one of the UK's leading chamber-music ensembles noted for the vitality of its
performances, the breadth of its repertoire and the ability to create a special
rapport with its audience. In the 1995/6 season the Trio performed a
three-concert cycle of Beethoven's Piano Trios in the Wigmore Hall's Master
Concerts series, at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh, in Belfast and in many other
parts of the UK. Their annual themed three-concert series in Cheltenham, Bristol
and Shrewsbury have proved especially popular and have attracted considerable
critical acclaim. The Trio also performs at many major UK festivals including
Warwick, Sheffield, Blackheath, Harrogate, Three Spires and Newbury.
The Barbican Piano Trio won the South East Arts Young Musicians' Platform in
1986 and the 1988 Royal Overseas League Ensemble Prize. In addition to several
recordings for BBC Radio 3, the Trio reached an estimated audience of five
million listeners during a live broadcast on the BBC World Service. They make
regular visits to Scotland and have toured the USA five times, making their
Carnegie Recital Hall debut in 1994. They have broadcast live on radio stations
in Chicago, Boston, New York and Washington and were invited to return to the
Phillips Collection for their 25th anniversary "Celebrity Artist" Series. The
British Council has sent the Trio further afield to Russia, The Far East and
South America as well as to Bulgaria, Italy and Spain - where they performed at
the Prado's 175th anniversary celebrations. The Trio has also given concerts in
France, Holland, Sweden and has visited Denmark on several occasions.
The Barbican Piano Trio's repertoire includes all of the major works for Trio as
well as lesser-known works by Sterndale-Bennett, Hugh Wood, Bill Campbell (1st
performance), Peter Lawson (1st performance), Artiom Kim (1st performance),
Chaminade and Arrieu. The Trio also presents Education concerts and has worked
with the Cavatina Chamber Music Trust on several occasions to encourage
schoolchildren to attend Chamber Music concerts in prestigious venues. Royal
Holloway, University of London has also invited the Trio to be
Ensemble-in-Residence during the 2001-2 academic year. The Trio's discography
includes works by Mendelssohn, Alan Bush, John Ireland, Edouard Lalo and Alfred
Schnittke.
"The Barbican Piano Trio is one of the most audience-friendly chamber ensembles
working in Britain today". The Strad, February 2000
Gabrielle Lester is the leader of Sinfonia 21 and the Michael Nyman Band and has
been the Associate Leader of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Before that she
was invited by Sir Simon Rattle to become Principal Second violin in the CBSO
and appeared as soloist with the orchestra at the Proms, the South Bank,
Barbican and throughout Europe. Previously she held the same post in the Chamber
Orchestra of Europe and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
Gabrielle studied at the Menuhin School, the RCM and in Salzburg with Sandor
Vegh. She has performed with the Endymion, Hebrides, Raphael and Gaudier
ensembles, given recitals throughout the UK and has been invited to the
International Musicians' Seminar Open Chamber-music and to the Lockenhaus
Festival. In 1990 she recorded works by Schubert with Gidon Kremer, released by
Deutsche Grammophon. Gaby has been guest-principal with the LSO and the BBCSO in
addition to guest-leading the BBCNOW and the BBCSSO. She plays a violin made by
Francesco Ruggieri.
Robert Max enjoys a colourful career as soloist, chamber-musician and conductor
and has been cellist of the Barbican Piano Trio since 1987. He made his Wigmore
Hall debut in 1990 and has since given regular recitals there with his wife,
pianist Zoë Solomon.
Robert studied with Florence Hooton at the RAM, Ralph Kirshbaum at the RNCM and
Zara Nelsova at the Juilliard School. He has given recitals throughout the UK,
in Germany, Holland, Denmark, France, Russia and the USA and has played
concertos with conductors including James Loughran, Alexander Gibson and Howard
Shelley. He recently gave the first performance of Elgar's cello concerto in
Arad, Romania. Robert was Musical Director of the Nonesuch Orchestra, the Zemel
Choir and of Pro Corda, the national school for young chamber music players. He
is an Associate of the RAM, where he teaches cello at the Junior Department and
has been invited to play guest principal cello with the LSO, the Philharmonia
and the RPO. He plays a Stradivarius cello dating from 1726 known as the "Comte
de Saveuse".
James Kirby is in considerable demand as soloist, recitalist and
chamber-musician. Orchestras he has performed with include the English, Scottish
and Belorussian Chamber Orchestras and the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. He has
worked with many other leading musicians, including Lydia Mordkovitch, the
Vanburgh String Quartet and the BBC Singers.
James studied with Jean Anderson and Hamish Milne at the RAM during which time
he won second prize in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition. In 1987
he was awarded a British Council Scholarship to study at the Moscow
Conservatoire with Tatiana Nikolaeva and Eliso Virsaladze, reaching the
semi-finals of the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1990. In 1992 he won First Prize
in the Citta di Marsala International Piano Competition. Subsequently James has
developed a busy recital schedule in the UK and has frequently appeared at the
South Bank Centre and the Wigmore Hall and in Holland, Belgium, Italy, Russia,
Romania and Greece. He is visiting Professor of piano at Royal Holloway,
University of London.
The Barbican Trio on Guild Music
Page created 24.05.02
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