Marsyas Trio

The Marsyas Trio is perhaps the only standing group comprising flute, cello, and piano. The group plays Classical- and Romantic-era music enthusiastically, but its unusual composition has inspired a number of original contemporary works. The Marsyas Trio was formed in 2009 by three players who had recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, but none of the three was British: flutist Helen Vidovich is Australian, cellist Valerie Welbanks Canadian, and original pianist Fei Ren was from New Zealand. In January of 2017 Australian contemporary music specialist Zubin Kanga replaced Fei Ren on piano, and Olga Stezhko was added as associate pianist. The trio's name from from that of a satyr piper in Greek mythology who challenges Apollo to a musical contest, loses, and is killed, but animates the pipes with his last breaths. The Marsyas Trio has toured widely in Britain, appearing in the Night Out concerts mounted by the Arts Council of Wales, performing on the BBC 3 radio network and at the Holywell Music Room under the auspices of the Oxford Chamber Music Society, and appearing at the Three Choirs and Vale of Glamorgan Festivals. The group has traveled around the European continent, including both concert and radio performances in Bulgaria, and has performed at the Société de Musique Contemporaine Lausanne in Switzerland in a broadcast concert. In 2015 the Marsyas Trio released its debut album, A Triple Portrait, devoted to the music of Russian emigré Elena Firsova. The group released In the Theatre of Air, featuring works by women composers in observance of the 100th anniversary of woman suffrage in Britain, in 2018. That album featured music by Judith Weir and Laura Bowler; the trio has also worked with composer Michael Finnissy. Its programs have also included the folk song transcriptions for trio of Haydn and Beethoven.
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