Eggner Trio

Hailing from Austria, the three Eggner brothers — Christoph, Georg and Florian — founded their piano trio in 1997. They have appeared throughout Europe, Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. In 2003, they earned international recognition in the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and went on to participate in the European Concert Hall Organisation’s 2006 ‘Rising Stars’ series, where they performed at iconic venues including Carnegie Hall, Cité de la Musique in Paris, the Philharmonie in Cologne, the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Musikverein in Vienna. As well as performing chamber music, the brothers have each played as soloists with orchestras around the world, having appeared with the Orchestra Filmharmonica dell’Umbria from Italy, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, and the Tonkünstler Orchestra from Austria. Their Adelaide concert will open with a piano trio composed by Clara Schumann. “This is a precious thing — we’re so happy we can finally play a piano trio composed by a woman,” Christoph Eggner tells The Adelaide Review. “This is a very rarely-played piece. We’re lucky to have made a [recording] of this piece, too.” Following Schumann’s Piano Trio in G minor, op 17 will be another piano trio composed by revered Australian composer and music educator, Dulcie Holland. “Dulcie Holland composed this trio in 1944, but it was first performed in 1991. It is a very special situation,” says Eggner. “This piece is a really good one. It is a little bit impressionistic with contemporary dissonance and some almost neo-medieval harmonies. [Holland has a] special musical language in her harmonies.” Holland’s Piano Trio was well-received when the trio performed it in Austria. “The audience was very surprised, and it is obvious they took something from it from the very first listen.” The program will close with Piano Trio no 1 in B Major, op 8 by Johannes Brahms. “The connection between Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms [is that they] were lifetime friends, and it never worked out that they became a couple,” says Eggner. “In the concert we will finally have them together!” The Eggner Trio will also be performing as a part of Musica Viva’s Huntington Estate Music Festival during their time in Australia. This unique celebration of chamber music takes place yearly in the Barrel Room of the winery in Mudgee at the end of November. The Eggner brothers will play as a piano trio, as well as collaborating with other musicians including esteemed baritone Wolfgang Holzmair.