Trio Metral

France's Trio Metral has performed widely on leading French chamber music series and at venues all over Europe. The group began as a family ensemble but now consists of unrelated players. Trio Metral, sometimes known as the Metral Trio, was formed in the mid-2010s when its original members were students at the Conservatoire de Paris. Originally, the group consisted of violinist Joseph Metral, cellist Justine Metral, and pianist Victor Metral. They earned master's degrees at the Conservatoire and went on for a wide variety of further training, attending the European Chamber Music Academy (studying with Hatto Beyerle, Johannes Meissl, and Ferenc Rados), and taking master classes with the Ebène Quartet, the Ysaÿe Quartet, and Trio Wanderer. The group had a residence at the Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth in Belgium with the Artemis Quartet. The quartet quickly racked up high-level prizes, including multiple honors at the 2017 International Haydn Competition in Vienna, and the group performed at such major venues as the Philharmonie in Paris, the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Festival La Roque d'Anthéron. Laure Hélène Michel replaced Justine Metral, and later Nathan Mierdl, concertmaster of the Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra, supplanted Joseph Metral. In 2019, Trio Metral made its recording debut on the Aparte label with an album of Mendelssohn piano trios. The trio went on for a doctoral degree at the Conservatoire under the direction of pianist Michel Dalberto. The group has been especially audible on French radio, performing on the programs "Classic Club," "Générations Jeunes Interprètes," and "Générations France Musique, le Live." A Trio Metral concert at Les Invalides was broadcast on Radio Classique. Trio Metral moved to La Dolce Volta for a recording of trios by Shostakovich and Mieczyslaw Weinberg, returning in 2023 on that label with a recording of trios by Chausson and Ravel.
© James Manheim /TiVo