Above and featured: Pianist Aura Go, cellist Timo-Veikko Valve and violinist Kristian Winther perform Bethoven’s Ghost. Photos by Peter Stoop, from this tour’s Newcastle concert.
In the week prior to Mother’s Day 2026, Musica Viva Australia celebrated the birth of a dynamic new chamber music ensemble. Championing the intensity and agility of the Piano Trio voice, seasoned instrumentalists, no strangers to the power of a Music Viva tour Aura Go (piano), Kristian Winther (violin) and ACO’s principal cellist Timo-Viekko Valve are enjoying a stunning debut with a far from fledgeling-sound as an ensemble.
Kudos to Musica Viva’s Artistic Director Paul Kildea for harnessing the proven talents of these three soloists, for co-ordinating logistics and calendars of the busy trio of soloists working in Australia and abroad and for nuturing this newborn ensemble’s chance to bring accomplished musicianship, an already comfortable, signature and matured ensemble elocution and a cracker programme to concert halls across the country.
Displaying a commanding mesh of individual sound plus performance skill, clear tracing of each composition’s architecture, an exquisite balance plus an immense palette of nuance, this new, yet to be named world-class kid on the local chamber music scene triumphed.
Above: (l to r) Aura Go and Timo-Veikko Valve Photo by Peter Stoop
Fans of the chamber music canon cherish the opportunity to hear beloved piano trios such as those by Mendelssohn, Dvořák and Shostakovich, who exploited the expressive and timbral power of the group’s components with stunning results. This tout programme also presents a debut with two other blockbuster faves of the genre, namely Beethoven’s ‘Ghost’ Piano Trio Op 70 No 1 and Ravel’s innovative, intelligent outburst which is his virtuosic, endearing Piano Trio from the tense pre-World War I period, completed in 1914.
These two loved works were presented with vitality, fine momentum and were refreshingly shaped by the well known local performers and recording artists assembled on stage. For a chamber music team on a debut tour, the undulations of three parts emerging and retiring in and out of the familiar works textures were breathtaking in their seamlessness. Each instrumentalist took turns in leading the others into new sections of the structure and intricate conversation or building towards density and emotional climaxes resulted.
The complex, difficult spirit of Beethoven, especially the magic of his unique language, sparked by surprise sforzandi or directional changes was conjured with consummate success by these three artists in well-prepared agreement. The keyboard control of Aura Go provided exemplary Beethovenesque filigree of the utmost even nature as she lay down runs of fine thread in the musical tapestry.Ravel’s clever work, full of intersecting influences and rhythmic experiments endeared itself with renewed lilt as the trio on stage shared thematic development and revelation of expressive colours.
Above: Violinist Kristian Winther. Photo by Peter Stoop
Apart from the admirable and clear harnessing of these large-scale classic trios, the two shorter but by no means diminutive works on the programme presented us with some exemplary evocations of atmosphere, location and environment as created for the piano trio voice.
Celebrating the emerging voice of female composers from the Post-Romantic period to now, a Musica Viva commission and the inclusion of a work by the short lived Prix de Rome winner Lili Boulanger completed the programme. These were heard each side of interval at this event. Musica Viva concert tours always spoil us with new Australian music.
The third piano trio from Melody Eötvös, Regnare, with its chameleon textures, swooping themes and accessible densities was a highlight of this event for me. It was goosebump stuff of a newness and construction sans a second of sagginess to completely lose yourself in. Not only was the range of expression and warmth of gesture written by the composer in such an attractive listenable manner, but the trio’s thoughtful approach made sense of the work.
Above: Pianist Aura Go. Photo by Peter Stoop
This team gave a premiere full of care and poise. They voiced the modern and unique gestures boldly. This was a detailed narrative, in which communication of the work’s extramusical colours regarding survival, nature and trees as environmental royalty was clearly done.
The trio presented the music freshly but with a command that made us feel the work was already a successful modern classic having grown through many performances- which it will do more so of course by the end of this tour. The joint virtuosity and dexterity of delivery from this new trio team brought the new work’s inimitable bravura and solid speaking voice home and to the stage in a sensitive, secure arc. It was received estatically by the large City Recital Hall crowd.
Atmosphere was also so well conveyed in a measured reading of Lili Boulanger’s D’un soir triste. Written just four years after Ravel’s piano trio. This scena, which survives as an orchestral piece also, is consistently compelling and crafted expertly. Its beauty and style adheres to no particular musical movement like Neo-classicism and is an opportunity for a piano trio or orchestra to present a pure evocative moment via solid gesturing and subtle manipulation of harmony, melodic lines and textures which need to be carefully balanced to create the landscape.
A mesmerising picture of an evening unfolding was carefully painted for us by Aura Go’s sympathetic accompaniment and some delicate sharing of thematic lines by Krisian Winther and cellist Timo-Veikko Valve. There was once again a superb group communication, listening and balance achieved, with the absence of overplaying. It was a reverent re-creation of the prodigious composer’s approach to stasis, delicate difference and instruments blending into a single sonic force.
We look forward to pianist Aura Go, cellist Timo-Veikko Valve and violinist Kristian Winther growing as a local superstar chamber music force, bringing us similar events full of effective intensities for piano trio. We hope to hear them extend their already mature infant voice through more expertly curated programmes and edge-of-the-seat, inspired interpretations.
