London Composers Forum is open to all composers interested in writing contemporary classical music, which covers a wide variety of styles. London Composers Forum supports and promotes the work of its members (both amateur and professional), provides opportunities for learning, feedback on works in progress and discussion of ideas, and organises concerts for performance of new works by its members.
Marsyas Trio takes its name from Greek mythology – inspired by the bold, spirited passion of Marsyas, the celebrated pipe-playing satyr who dared challenge Apollo in a musical contest. In victory, Marsyas lost his life to the envious wrath of the god, saving his last breaths for the instrument he immortalised.
The London-based trio, formed in 2009 by graduates of the Royal Academy of Music, is dedicated to music for flute, cello and piano from the Classical era to the present day. Aiming to inspire a generation of new works for this genre, they are uncovering lesser-known repertoire and are proactive in commissioning new music. Flautist Helen Vidovich and cellist Val Welbanks were joined in October 2017 by award-winning pianist Olga Stezhko, and also work with pianist Zubin Kanga, internationally recognised as a leading exponent of contemporary music.
The Trio has toured in Europe and China, and performed recently at the Vale of Glamorgan and Three Choirs Festivals, Holywell Music Room (Oxford Chamber Music Society), and in Switzerland at the Société de Musique Contemporaine Lausanne, which was broadcast on the Swiss Radio station RTS Espace 2. The Trio performs in rural Wales as part of the Arts Council of Wales’ Night Out scheme. They have performed live on BBC Radio 3 “In Tune”, Classic FM Bulgaria, and Bulgarian National Television. In 2015 the Marsyas Trio’s debut CD, A Triple Portrait (Meridian Records), featuring a newly commissioned work and other chamber music by Russian émigré composer Elena Firsova. The disc, marking Firsova’s 25-year musical contribution to the UK, received airtime on European radio and reviews internationally including Cambridge Music Journal Tempo, The Strad, and Australia’s Limelight magazine.
Further details can be found on the Marsyas Trio's website.