A number of private and public concerts are being held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Musique de Chambre: Pro Arte. One of these is a chamber music recital by Trio Zingaro that will feature Mozart's Trio in E flat, K. 498, Schumann's Märchenerzählugen (Fairytales) and Max Bruch's Morceaux, Op. 83, to be held at the Music Room of St James Cavalier, Valletta, on Thursday at 8 p.m.
The Trio Zingaro was formed in 1987 and is composed of Noel Beck (clarinet), Antoine Frendo (viola) and Natascha Chircop (piano).
This year also marks the 15th anniversary of Trio Zingaro's memorable performance at the Manoel Theatre. All members have given individual concerts on the Manoel Theatre stage. Beck pursued his advanced musical education at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, in the 1970s under professors Dr A. Heine and R. Jettel. He furthered his studies in London with G. Dobree.
Frendo pursued violin studies with Yfrah Neaman and Aaron Rosand, and participated in a number of chamber music courses, such as that at the Accademia Chigiana, Siena, in 1974. He has performed concertos with orchestra ranging from Baroque pieces to Prokofiev's Violin Concerto, No. 1.
Chircop graduated in pianoforte and flute at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory, Milan, and in chamber music at the Firenze Academy. Besides giving recitals in France, England, Spain, Germany, Syria, Italy and Malta, she has performed as soloist with the Malta National Orchestra on various occasions performing Arnold, Ravel, Franck, Grieg, Jirasek, Vella and Pace. She also performed with the orchestra Guido Cantelli, Milan, and with the National Orchestra of Porto, Portugal.
Recordings include works by Vella and Chabrier. She was also invited to record for Italian radio and has recorded for international labels of Geiga and Rugginenti.
The group Musique de Chambre: Pro Arte was formed in 1986 after Frendo's return from Yfrah Neaman's intensive course. The group contained half a dozen members, most of which still form part of the ensemble today, with a couple of younger members who joined later on.
Frendo said: "The Trio Zingaro seems to be one combination where slow and quiet progress has weathered all the gaps created by long-term courses, travels and prolonged family commitments."
The clarinet quintet has always had a different member at some point. Yet, the quintet has played on various occasions in different countries. There were also the Almaz Quartets whose name appeared and disappeared from programmes intermittently, but who, according to Frendo, should be re-inserted.
On speaking about his involvement in chamber music, Frendo said that at a young age he was mainly exposed to opera and light music. At the age of nine and ten he accompanied his aunt's folk dancing group. However, this didn't last long.
Four years later, his teacher Carlo Fiamingo referred him to Haydn's quartets. It was even later that he played his first Haydn quartet - one of Frendo's memorable experiences that he shared with friends.
The clarinet, viola and piano combination is not often met with in chamber music. Mozart was the first composer to write an important work for such a trio.
He overcame a number of ensemble problems by replacing the cello with viola to lighten the bass line. The viola is coupled with the clarinet, which is a wind instrument with a similar range and similarly mellow.
Schumann also chose this combination for his four fairly tales and Bruch was the one who did this kind of trio the greatest favour. Frendo interprets Bruch's Op. 83 as "closely knit, representing a travel diary, from the decision to embark through varied adventures".
Tickets at Lm4 and Lm3 (concessions) are available from the St James Cavalier booking office, tel: 2122-3200 or e-mail boxoffice@sjcav.org.