Maurice Ravel; Dmitri Shostakovich - Piano Trios (Ibuki Trio)

Information

Composer: Maurice Ravel; Dmitri Shostakovich

• Ravel - Piano Trio, M. 67
• Shostakovich - Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67

Ibuki Trio

    Ben Wragg, violin

    Laura Anstee, cello

    Kan Tomita, piano

Date: 2008 / 2025

Label: Claudio Records

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The Ibuki Trio’s new recording pairs two wartime masterpieces: Ravel’s Piano Trio (1914), a luminous fusion of Basque rhythms, Malayan color, and classical form composed on the eve of World War I, and Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 (1944), written in the shadow of personal loss and wartime tragedy. Ravel’s trio radiates elegance and precision, while Shostakovich’s work traces a journey from mourning to a macabre Jewish dance of death. Together, they form a poignant dialogue between beauty and devastation, marking the Ibuki Trio’s return to the recording studio with emotional depth and technical brilliance.

Violinist Ben Wragg, cellist Laura Anstee, and pianist Kan Tomita formed the Ibuki Trio after first meeting as teenagers at the Purcell School in 1995. Each pursued distinguished individual careers before reuniting as adults. Ben studied at the Royal Academy of Music and the Mozarteum, earning awards including the Making Music Young Concert Artist Award and praise from Ruggiero Ricci for his exceptional musicianship. Kan studied at the Royal College of Music, winning major prizes such as the Hopkinson Gold Medal and the Florestano Rossomandi International Piano Competition. Laura, also an Academy graduate, draws inspiration from world music traditions, enriching her vibrant musical artistry.