Trio Jean Paul

Eckart Heiligers | Piano
Ulf Schneider | Violin
Martin Löhr | Violoncello

“The Trio Jean Paul played with excitement and grace and brought out the most beautiful in every movement. The result was wonderfully balanced chamber music to sink into.”

The Trio Jean Paul has remained unchanged for more than three decades and continues to rank among the most successful and consistent chamber music ensembles today. The trio captivates audiences around the world with its sophisticated ensemble culture, keen sense of tonal aesthetics not to mention the musicality of the three artists with their poised style.
Their career together started with first prizes at competitions in Melbourne and Osaka as well as at the Deutsche Musikwettbewerb. The name of the ensemble was also quickly set: Jean Paul was the favorite poet of Robert Schumann, whose works are particularly dear to the trio. As more than a mere namesake to the trio, the name reveals the musicians’ primary aim: to explore the similarities of music and language and make it audible for the audience.

Their engagements regularly take the ensemble to major concert halls around the world such as the Wiener Konzerthaus, Berliner Philharmonie, Palais des Beaux Arts Brussels or Wigmore Hall in London. Their extensive tours take them to the USA and Canada.

The ensemble’s work focuses on the performance of contemporary repertoire, which also includes numerous original premieres by famous composers. Wolfgang Rihm dedicated his “Trio Concerto” to the ensemble which the Trio premiered in 2014 at the Berliner Philharmonie together with the WDR Sinfonieorchester under Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Further performances with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich and the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover followed. Currently, the trio is dedicated to the new composition commissioned from Tobias Rokahr.

Numerous CD productions by the trio with CAvi-music garnered prizes: The recording of Brahm’s Trio in B major and Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht was awarded the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik; the recording of the two Mendelssohn trios in 2009 and the Schubert trios in 2012 were distinguished with the Supersonic-Award. In 2015 their CD featuring piano trios by Joseph Haydn was brought on the market. At least the Trio enthuses with their CD of Brahm’s String Sextets arranged for piano trio by the composer’s friend Theodor Kirchner.

For more information, visit the homepage www.triojeanpaul.de.

Short biographies

Eckart Heiligers | Piano
studied under Karl-Heinz Kämmerling in Hanover and Leon Fleisher in Baltimore (USA). His achievements earned numerous scholarships early on from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Deutscher Musikwettbewerb as well as a France Graage Performance Scholarship. Eckart Heiligers delivered award-winning performances at numerous international competitions in Vercelli, Athens, Salt Lake City, Oslo and others. His concert work is characterised by tremendous breadth as he regularly performs as a soloist, chamber musician and vocal accompanist. He also serves as professor for piano and chamber music at the Zurich University of the Arts. His work also has him offering master classes both in Germany and abroad as well as participating as a jury member at international music competitions.

Ulf Schneider | Violin
studied in Hanover, New York and Berlin with Jens Ellermann, Masao Kawasaki, Felix Galimir and Thomas Zehetmair.
In addition to his worldwide concert activities with the trio, he has a continuous collaboration with the Bartholdy Quintet and the pianists Jan Philip Schulze and Stephan Imorde. He particularly enjoys developing programs in which language and music enter into a special connection with one another.
Ulf Schneider has been a professor at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media for 20 years. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses and competitions as a juror.

Further information: www.ulfschneider-violine.de

Martin Löhr | Violoncello
completed his studies under Wolfgang Mehlhorn in Hamburg, Zara Nelsova at the Juilliard School in New York and Wolfgang Boettcher at the Berlin University of the Arts. He is also a recipient of a scholarship from the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes, a Masefield scholarship, was included in the Federal Selection of Concerts for Young Artists and was awarded the prize of the Mozartgesellschaft Wiesbaden. In 1995, he won 1st prize at the “Jeunesses Musicales” International Cello Competition in Belgrade.
Martin Löhr is a solo cellist of the Berlin Philharmonic, teaches at the Orchestra Academy and is a regular lecturer at master courses in Germany and abroad. His extensive concert performances include, in addition to orchestral concerts, solo performances as well as chamber music in a variety of formations.

Season 2023/2024 | Photos: Irène Zandel | Quote: Westfälischer Anzeiger, March 6 2020.
Amendments or edits need the consent of Künstlersekretariat Astrid Schoerke GmbH

With orchestra

Beethoven Tripel concert C major op.56
Rihm Trio Concerto

With piano

Beethoven
Variations on I am the tailor Cockatoo op. 121b
Piano Trio E-flat major op. 1 No. 1
Piano trio in G major op. 1 No. 2
Piano Trio in C minor op. 1 No. 3
Piano Trio in B-flat major op. 11 Gassenhauer Trio
Variations in E-flat major op. 44
Piano Trio D major op. 70 No. 1 Ghost Trio
Piano trio E-flat major op. 70 No. 2
Piano Trio in B-flat major op. 97 Archduke Trio
Piano trio C major op. 87
Triple Concerto in C major op. 56

Birtwistle
Trio (2010)

Boulanger
D’un martin de printemps
D’un soir sad

Brahms
Piano Trio in B major op. 8 (version 1854)
Piano trio C major op. 87
Piano Trio in C minor op. 101
String sextet in B-flat major op. 18 (edited by Kirchner)
String Sextet in G major op. 36 (edited by Kirchner)

Chausson
Trio op. 3

Chong
Trio Epitaphs sans mots (2003)
written for the Trio Jean Paul

Dvorak
Piano Trio in F minor op. 65

Giseler
Lumina (1993)

Gürsching
Trio

Haydn
Trio in E Minor Hob. XV: 12
Trio in D major Hob. XV: 16
Trio in D minor Hob. XV: 23
Trio in F-Sharp Minor Hob. XV: 26
Trio in C major Hob. XV: 27
Trio in E-flat major Hob. XV: 29 In the German style
Trio in E-flat major Hob. XV: 30

Kagel
Trio No. 2

Kerry
Trio No. 2 In the Wind
dedicated to the Trio Jean Paul

V. D. Kirchner
Piano Trio Schumann in Endenich (1979)
Piano Trio Sunken Places (2004)
written for the Trio Jean Paul

Leibowitz
Trio op. 20

F. Martin
Trio on Irish folk tunes

Mozart
Trio in G major KV 496
Trio in B-flat major KV 502
Trio in E major KV 542
Trio in C major KV 548

Mendelssohn
Trio in D minor op. 49
Trio in C minor op. 66

Parra
Trio No. 2 (2006)
dedicated to the Trio Jean Paul

Pierné
Trio op. 45

Ravel
Trio in A minor

M. C. Redel
Trio Shadow Lines
written for the Trio Jean Paul

Rihm
Trio (1972)
Foreign scenes I-III
Trio Concerto (2014)

Shostakovich
Trio No. 1 in C minor op. 8
Trio No. 2 in E minor op. 67

Schönberg
Verklärte Nacht op. 4
(edited by E. Steuermann / Trio Jean Paul)
Sonnet No. 217 by Petrarch (edit for piano trio)

Schubert
Trio B major D 898
Trio in E major D 929
Sonata B major D 28
Notturno in E-flat major D 897

Schumann
Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor op. 63
Piano Trio No. 2 in F major op. 80
Piano Trio No. 3 G minor op. 110
Fantasy Pieces op. 88

C. Schumann
Trio in G minor op. 17

R. Smalley
Trio

Vasks
Episodi e canto perpetuo (Homage to O Messiaen) (1985)

Piano Quartet with viola or clarinet

Bartók
contrasts Sz 111

Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor op. 60
Horn Trio in E-flat major op. 40

Dvorak
Piano Quartet in E-flat major op. 87

Messiaen
Quatuor pour la fin du temps

Mozart
Piano Quartet in G minor KV 478
Piano quartet in E-flat major KV 493

Schumann
Piano Quartet in E-flat major op. 47

With orchestra

Beethoven Tripel concert C major op.56
Rihm Trio Concerto

With piano

Beethoven
Variations on I am the tailor Cockatoo op. 121b
Piano Trio E-flat major op. 1 No. 1
Piano trio in G major op. 1 No. 2
Piano Trio in C minor op. 1 No. 3
Piano Trio in B-flat major op. 11 Gassenhauer Trio
Variations in E-flat major op. 44
Piano Trio D major op. 70 No. 1 Ghost Trio
Piano trio E-flat major op. 70 No. 2
Piano Trio in B-flat major op. 97 Archduke Trio
Piano trio C major op. 87
Triple Concerto in C major op. 56

Birtwistle
Trio (2010)

Boulanger
D’un martin de printemps
D’un soir sad

Brahms
Piano Trio in B major op. 8 (version 1854)
Piano trio C major op. 87
Piano Trio in C minor op. 101
String sextet in B-flat major op. 18 (edited by Kirchner)
String Sextet in G major op. 36 (edited by Kirchner)

Chausson
Trio op. 3

Chong
Trio Epitaphs sans mots (2003)
written for the Trio Jean Paul

Dvorak
Piano Trio in F minor op. 65

Giseler
Lumina (1993)

Gürsching
Trio

Haydn
Trio in E Minor Hob. XV: 12
Trio in D major Hob. XV: 16
Trio in D minor Hob. XV: 23
Trio in F-Sharp Minor Hob. XV: 26
Trio in C major Hob. XV: 27
Trio in E-flat major Hob. XV: 29 In the German style
Trio in E-flat major Hob. XV: 30

Kagel
Trio No. 2

Kerry
Trio No. 2 In the Wind
dedicated to the Trio Jean Paul

V. D. Kirchner
Piano Trio Schumann in Endenich (1979)
Piano Trio Sunken Places (2004)
written for the Trio Jean Paul

Leibowitz
Trio op. 20

F. Martin
Trio on Irish folk tunes

Mozart
Trio in G major KV 496
Trio in B-flat major KV 502
Trio in E major KV 542
Trio in C major KV 548

Mendelssohn
Trio in D minor op. 49
Trio in C minor op. 66

Parra
Trio No. 2 (2006)
dedicated to the Trio Jean Paul

Pierné
Trio op. 45

Ravel
Trio in A minor

M. C. Redel
Trio Shadow Lines
written for the Trio Jean Paul

Rihm
Trio (1972)
Foreign scenes I-III
Trio Concerto (2014)

Shostakovich
Trio No. 1 in C minor op. 8
Trio No. 2 in E minor op. 67

Schönberg
Verklärte Nacht op. 4
(edited by E. Steuermann / Trio Jean Paul)
Sonnet No. 217 by Petrarch (edit for piano trio)

Schubert
Trio B major D 898
Trio in E major D 929
Sonata B major D 28
Notturno in E-flat major D 897

Schumann
Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor op. 63
Piano Trio No. 2 in F major op. 80
Piano Trio No. 3 G minor op. 110
Fantasy Pieces op. 88

C. Schumann
Trio in G minor op. 17

R. Smalley
Trio

Vasks
Episodi e canto perpetuo (Homage to O Messiaen) (1985)

Piano Quartet with viola or clarinet

Bartók
contrasts Sz 111

Brahms
Piano Quartet in C minor op. 60
Horn Trio in E-flat major op. 40

Dvorak
Piano Quartet in E-flat major op. 87

Messiaen
Quatuor pour la fin du temps

Mozart
Piano Quartet in G minor KV 478
Piano quartet in E-flat major KV 493

Schumann
Piano Quartet in E-flat major op. 47

TRIO JEAN PAUL plays BRAHMS String Sextets arr. by Th. Kirchner for Piano Trio