ARTIST PROFILE

Trio Mediæval

BIOGRAPHY

Founded in Oslo in 1997, Trio Mediaeval has developed three distinct strands of repertoire: polyphonic medieval music from England and France, contemporary works and Norwegian medieval ballads and songs. The group’s initial phase was inspired by intense periods of work at the Hilliard Summer Festival in England and Germany, and subsequently with Linda Hirst and John Potter.

The trio has collaborated with many composers, including Gavin Bryars, Ivan Moody, Roger Marsh, Paul Robinson, Piers Hellawell, (UK), Joanne Metcalf (USA), Thoma Simaku (Albania), Oleh Harkavyy (Ukraine), Gonzalo Macías (Mexico), Bjørn Kruse and Andrew Smith (Norway), and Sungji Hong (Korea).

Trio Mediaeval released its first CD on ECM Records in October 2001. ‘Words of the Angel’ immediately went to The Billboard Top 10 Bestsellers list and was the April 2002 Stereophile “Recording of the Month.” On the 16th of January 2004 the trio released its second CD ‘Soir dit-elle’ on ECM Records. Also this recording was on the Billboard Top 10 list for weeks. The release concert was recorded by Norwegian television (NRK 1) for the series ‘Megafon’, and was broadcast in May 2004.

Trio Mediaeval has been engaged by Rikskonsertene (The Norwegian Concert Institute) to perform school concerts for children throughout the country since 1999 and was chosen as ‘Debutants 2001’ by the Rikskonsertene.

Trio Mediaeval has given concerts and radio broadcasts in the US, UK, Austria, Holland, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Finland, the Baltic States, Spain and France. They have performed at venues such as the Wigmore Hall London, BBC Radio 3 lunchtime concerts from the Temple Church, Trinity College Chapel Cambridge, the Vienna Konzerthaus and the Oslo Concert House. In February 2004 the trio made its first tour of the US, with concerts and broadcasts in New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago and Lacey. In November 2004 they made their second US tour also visiting Canada, and including radio broadcasts in Minnesota, Georgia and Quebec, Canada. Their April 2005 US tour brings them for the first time to the West Coast, and in December their venues include Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and the Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.

Since August 2003 the trio mediaeval has been represented by Herbert Barrett Management, New York (USA, Canada, Asia and Australia) and Karsten Witt Musik Management, Berlin (Europe) since August 2004.