HOBOKEN Trio
The Hoboken Trio was formed in 2003, when three young musicians met and decided to team up to explore the vast possibilities available to a piano-accompanied trio.
Inspired by the pioneering spirit of Hadyn, the musicians decided to name their trio Hoboken, in reference to the musicologist who catalogued the complete works of the composer.
Keeping in tune with their muse, it is with curiosity and an insistence on excellence the trio approaches their considerable repertoire, From the 18th century to present day, covering the great Romantic works, the trio readily includes contemporary composers, such as Maratka and Saariaho.
Their interest in working with new artists to create unique musical performances is most notably illustrated in their program ‘From Hadyn to Galliano”, which was created and performed with the accordionist Richard Galliano and was a favorite among audiences.
The Hoboken Trio has performed at numerous prestigious festivals including the Colmar Festival, the Orangerie at Sceaux, the Pablo Casals competition in Prades, and the Flâneries Musicales in Reims. The trio continuously tours in France and abroad as well as on the airwaves of France Musique. The group recorded a disc of Dvorak/Smetana’s music (which received four stars from the publication Monde de la Musique) as well as a disc of Haydn (to be released in February 2009) both with the label Lyrinx.
Wherever the Hoboken Trio perform, the critics respond with laudatory reviews:
“A passion and lyricism as irresistible as it is exhilarating” Alain Cochard, Diapason
“A simple and elegant style, with an innate sense of flow and rich lyricism” Frank Langlois, Le Monde de la Musique
“The listener is struck by the trio’s complicity and liberty of musicality. Not to mention their stage presence, they are able to crescendo and breathe together with a refreshing and vital flair” Christian Merlin, Le Figaro
Jerôme GRANJON, piano
Winner of the first prize in piano and chamber music from the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris, Jerôme Granjon continued his training in Canada (at the Banff Centre) followed by London, under the tutelage of Maria Curcio. He is a graduate of the Città di Senigallia international piano program.
After Jerôme Granjon was singled out by Maria João Pires for his musical talents, the two began working together, collaborating at the center of artistic studies at Belgais, where Pires directed concerts and workshops from 2000-2004. At her side, Jerôme Granjon performed in Portugal, Spain, and Bresil, as well as worked on a disc recorded in 2002 for Deutsche Grammophone.
Jerôme Granjon has performed with the Philharmonic Orchestra of Radio-France, the National Orchestra in Lille, The Soloist Orchestra of Moscow and in prestigious venues such as the Théâtre du Châtelet, Cuvilliés Theater in Munich, and the Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. Jerôme Granjon’s musical approach is characterized by exigency and a deep understanding of the works in his repertory, as well openness to new musical projects (including theatrical music and contemporary works).
Saskia LETHIEC, violin
Winner of several international prizes such as the “Ferras-Barbizet”at Vichy, Greensboro in the United Stqtes, and finalist in the Enesco competition in Bucarest, Saskia Lethiec was taught by J.P. Wallez (at the Geneva Conservatory) as well as Gérard Poulet in an advanced course at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Paris. In the field of chamber music, her teachers include Alain Meunier, Christian Ivaldi and Walter Levin.
As a grant holder from the “Ravina Festival of Chicago”, Lethiec attended Masters classes given by Miriam Fried, Claude Franck as well as courses in Europe taught by Maurice Hasson and Mihaela Martin.
Saskia Lethiec has performed as a soloist with the PACA Orchestra in Cannes, the Simon Bolivar Orchestra and the National Symphonic Orchestra in Caracas, the Brixis Orchestra in Prague, the Concentus Hungaricus Orchestra in Budapest, and the Suisse Romande Orchestra. She has been invited to festivals in France (such as Radio-France in Montpellier and Orsay, the Sceaux Festival, and Les Musicales in Colmar) and abroad (including Diligentia in Den Haag, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Victoria Hall in Geneva, and Rodolphinum in Prague).
She is also a member of the Calliopée ensemble and a professor at the Conservatoire National de Région in Versailles.
Saskia Lethiec has recorded several discs for the music labels Deron, Arion, and Lyrinx.
Eric PICARD, cello
Principal Cellist and First Cello Soloist of the Orchestre de Paris since 1991, Eric Picard was born in Bayonne, in the South of France.
At the age of twenty-three he took First prize at the "Finale Ligure" international competition in Italy. He studied at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique de Paris in the classes of Maurice Gendron and Philippe Muller, where he received first prizes in both cello and chamber music. He also worked with such eminent musical personalities as Paul Tortelier, Natalia Chakhauskaya, Janos Starker and Menahem Pressler.
A consummate artist, he has been highly praised as a soloist as a well as chamber musician whose partners have included renowned artists as Victoria Mullova, Christoph Eschenbach and the pianist Menahem Pressler. Eric Picard has performed as soloist in many of the great concert halls of Europe (Paris, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Hamburg…), USA (Carnegie Hall…) and Japan (Suntory Hall...).
At Salle Pleyel in Paris, his performances with conductors Pierre Boulez, Christoph Von Dohnanyi, Kent Nagano, and Wolfgang Sawallish have been unanimously acclaimed by the critics who have recognized him as a "musician with exceptional tone and exquisite taste, intelligent and generous but never excessive." (Le Monde).
His recordings include Trios by Gabriel Fauré and Vincent D'Indy as well as "'N' Shima" by Xenakis which was awarded the Grand Prize from the Academy Charles Cros. His latest release with famed baritone Dietrich Henschel is on the Amboisie label.
Fascinated in the research of innovative performance concepts, Mr. Picard is both the founder and the artistic director of an ensemble composed of Soloists of the Orchestre de Paris which performs series of original thematic concerts within a regular season in Paris as well as on tour internationally.
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