Cygnus Trio
About the Cygnus Trio
The Cygnus Trio was formed in 2012 by three students at the Royal Academy of Music. Having played together as a duo in Spain, violinist Javier Montañana and pianist César Saura met cellist Hannah Lewis, with whom they discovered a like-minded approach and a shared love of chamber music. Over the last ten years the trio has studied with internationally renowned performers, competed successfully in various competitions and performed widely in Europe and the UK.
The trio has received prizes in international competitions including the Anton Garcia Abril chamber music competition and the Ecoparque de Trasmiera competition. The trio has also performed in numerous festivals and concert series including the Santander International Festival, the Panticosa International Festival (as resident ensemble in 2017), the Archipelago series at the Auditorium Lo Squero in Venice, and the Omaggio a Cremona series at the Teatro Ponchielli in Cremona. The trio has been invited to join Le Dimore del Quartetto, and as members have performed in venues throughout Italy.
In 2024 their debut album Impressions of Iberia was released on the label Da Vinci Classics. The album features works by Enrique Fernández Arbós, Joaquín Turina and Maurice Ravel and seeks to explore the cultural crosspollination between Spain and France around the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in particular the relationship between Spanish folk music and French impressionism and their influence on the music from both countries.
The Cygnus Trio delivered a performance where youthful ebullience and joy were matched by wonderful musicianship and beautifully responsive chamber playing. They introduced us to some little known Spanish trios by Arbós and Turina in the first half, played with equal intensity by all three members, two of whom are Spanish; the novelty of these, as well as the excellent performance, were warmly appreciated by the audience. In the second half, they delivered a winning performance of Beethoven’s Archduke trio.