Rautio Piano Trio & Oliver Beamish

Our final concert brings together works that explore the depths of human experience through contrasting musical landscapes. Sally Beamish’s Seafarer, inspired by the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf (translated by Charles Harrison Wallace), weaves together the voice of the narrator and a piano trio to reflect on the journey of a hero confronting the trials of the sea and life’s challenges. The piece evokes the harsh isolation and internal struggles faced by the protagonist, blending elements of the seafaring tradition with the larger themes of fate, bravery, and mortality found in the ancient epic.

This programme is further enriched by Beethoven’s Kakadu Variations for piano trio, which transform a charming folk tune through a sophisticated and inventive interplay of thematic development, alongside Bach’s Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, as transcribed by Jan Rautio, offering a monumental and introspective meditation on musical form and expression.

Since the release of their acclaimed debut album of Mozart Trios in 2016, the Rautio Trio has become one of today’s leading chamber ensembles, celebrated for their refined artistry and emotionally powerful performances. With a particular passion for 18th and 19th-century repertoire, they bring a fresh perspective to historical masterworks, performing on both modern and period instruments. The Trio has recorded four albums with Resonus Classics to critical acclaim, regularly featured on BBC Radio 3, and performed at major venues including Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, and Bridgewater Hall, as well as internationally in France, Austria, and Germany.