Palace Music - Trio `95 • Lossimuusika 2023/2024

Sunday, March 10, 2024 at 6 p.m. Kadriorg Palace / Kadriorg Art Museum 

Palace Music Concert Series

Trio `95
Rasmus Andreas Raide - piano
Robert Traksmann - violin
Marcel Johannes Kits - cello

Program:
Joseph Haydn - Piano trio in B-flat major No. 20, Hob.XV:20
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach - Piano trio in E minor, H. 529
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano trio in E-flat major, Op. 70 No. 2

The ensemble Trio '95 is an outstanding piano trio with a broad repertoire, active since 2003. The ensemble consists of pianist Rasmus Andreas Raide, violinist Robert Traksmann, and cellist Marcel Johannes Kits. These acclaimed musicians started their journey as classmates at the Tallinn Music High School under Laine Leichter and Marrit Gerretz-Traksmann, and acquired their higher education in Germany – in Berlin and Karlsruhe. They have also pursued further training under Professors Francis Gouton and Aleksandr Bondurjanski. Among their competition achievements, the most notable are the first place at the international chamber music competition "Pavasario Sonata 2012", first place at the Ilmari Hännikäinen International Chamber Music Competition in Finland (2020), and the first prize along with special prizes at the international chamber music competition "Tallinn 2021". In addition to Estonia, they have performed in Switzerland, Germany, Bulgaria, Finland, and Lithuania.

As a result of their unique educational path, Trio '95 integrates different musical qualities from both the former Eastern Bloc and the diverse teachings of the Western sphere, a balance that underpins their broad repertoire, which includes even the less-known gems of the trio treasury. The ensemble also values highly Estonian music and expanding the trio repertoire. Their repertoire includes works by Jaan Rääts, Arvo Pärt, Erkki-Sven Tüür, and Tõnu Kõrvits; for the 2022 Estonian Music Days and the "Glass Bead Game" festival, Liisa Hõbepappel, Ülo Krigul, Rein Rannap, and Kristjan Randalu composed new works for the trio.

Trio '95 has received the annual award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia (2020) for their victory in a prestigious international chamber music competition and their extensive concert activities. The ensemble's broad repertoire encompasses a wide range of music from Mozart, Beethoven, and Brahms to contemporary composers' unique works.

Rasmus Andreas Raide began his musical studies under Ell Saviauk and Martti Raide at the Tallinn Music High School, graduating in 2014 with a gold medal, continuing his studies at the Karlsruhe Music Conservatory (Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe) in Professor Kalle Randalu's piano class. Raide has won awards at several international competitions, including first place and a special prize (2013) at the Young Virtuoso competition in Riga, and the second prize (2017) at the Musicale Europeo Citta di Filadelfia Paolo Serrao competition in Southern Italy. Rasmus Andreas Raide has performed as a soloist with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, the Jyväskylä Symphony Orchestra, and the Narva City Orchestra, and has given recitals in venues such as the Berlin Concert Hall and the Pärnu Music Festival. He has furthered his education in masterclasses with Menahem Pressler, Professor Alfredo Perl, Professor Natalia Trull, and Francois Killian. Since 2005, Rasmus Andreas Raide has played with violinist Robert Traksmann and cellist Marcel Johannes Kits in the ensemble Trio ’95.

Robert Traksmann began playing the violin at the age of 4 under the guidance of teacher Tiiu Peäske. He graduated from the Tallinn Music High School and obtained a master's degree from the Hanns Eisler School of Music Berlin (Prof. Kolja Blacher). Robert Traksmann has improved his skills in master classes with Florian Donderer, Ivry Gitlis, Ulrike Danhofer, Arvo Leibur, Jüri Gerretz, and others. Since spring 2022, Robert has been a member of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra. Robert has performed as a soloist with several orchestras: Oulu Symphony, Jyväskylä Symphony, Estonian National Symphony Orchestra, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Pärnu City Orchestra, among others. As an active chamber musician, Robert Traksmann has had a long-standing connection with the ensemble Trio '95, along with Rasmus Andreas Raide and Marcel Johannes Kits. In 2020, the trio received the Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia's Sound Arts Foundation. Robert has been playing in the string quartet M4GNET since its founding in 2021. Thanks to the Estonian Foundation of Musical Instruments, Robert plays a rare violin made by Giuseppe and Antonio Gagliano (built between 1775–1780), and he uses a bow made by Joseph Arthur Vigneron (1890).

Marcel Johannes Kits is one of the most prominent Estonian cellists, awarded prizes in both domestic and international competitions. His most notable achievement to date is the third place in the Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels (2022), which is considered among the top competitions in the world. He began studying the cello at the age of five under the guidance of Lembi Mets and Reet Mets, studies continued at the Tallinn Music High School, where his teacher became Laine Leichter and Mart Laas. He earned his bachelor's degree at the Trossingen University of Music under the supervision of Professor Francis Gouton. Since 2018, he has been pursuing a master's degree under Professor Jens Peter Maintz at the Berlin University of the Arts. Marcel Johannes Kits' competition achievements include first place at the George Enescu International Competition in Romania (2018), first place and two special prizes at the Johannes Brahms Competition in Austria (2016), and in 2019, he reached the semi-finals of the prestigious ARD competition in Germany. As a soloist, Marcel Johannes Kits has performed not only with Estonian orchestras but also with orchestras such as the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the University of Karlsruhe Symphony Orchestra, Kymi Sinfonietta, George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra (Romania), and others. Marcel Johannes Kits plays a cello made by Francesco Ruggieri in Cremona in 1674 and uses a bow made by the French master Victor Fétique around 1900, both provided for his use by the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben foundation.