Goeyvaerts String Trio

The Goeyvaerts String Trio, founded in 1997, focuses on twentieth- and twenty-first-century repertoire. Named for Belgian composer Karel Goeyvaerts, the ensemble commissions new works and comprises Fedra Coppens (violin), Vincent Hepp/Bram Bossier (viola), and Pieter Stas (cello). Their Schoenberg, Webern, and Schnittke CD on Challenge Records earned a Golden Label at Klassiek Centraal, a Klara nomination, and a Gramophone recommendation. In 2012, “String Trios from the East” featured Gubaidulina, Knaifel, Paiberdin, and Kancheli, praised for “bordering on the impossible.” In 2014, they released “Stabat Mater,” pairing Arvo Pärt’s Stabat Mater with Ivan Moody’s Simeron, receiving Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice and an Edison. They curate the annual Passages festival with Cultural Centre Sint-Niklaas. In 2016 came “Whispers of Titans,” with works by Nikolaj Korndorf and Henryk Górecki. Their 2020 recording of Wolfgang von Schweinitz’s “Klang” featured in an ARTE documentary. Charles Wuorinen’s Second String Trio (2018) was written for them and premiered at the Guggenheim in New York. In 2019, they played premieres by Linda Catlin Smith, Pascale Criton, and Robin Verheyen (“Blues, Reds and other Songs”). As ensemble in residence at KMSKA, they created programs around its renovation. With support from Sint-Niklaas, they celebrate the 10th anniversary of Passages, blurring genres and championing local and international talent.