"Three wonderful audience-friendly musicians at the top of their game playing three of the great works in the piano trio repertoire - our audience loved it!"

Margaret McCrorie, Music in West Kilbride 16/01/26

"Da Vinci Trio wins hearts and minds... as enjoyable as it was challanging.... a programme of contrasting styles which delighted the large audience .... entertaining introductions ....great technicality but also genuine feeling and subtlety... immaculate playing as fascinating to watch as to listen to... performers of the highest calibre."

The Gallery, Isle of Bute News (Argyll Media Litimed) 16 May 2025

"it was a fantastic concert and I was absolutely delighted with the performance of my new piece and the great feedback from the audience. The Schubert was also a real highlight - such an amazing performance of a wonderful piece and I'm so pleased this was included in the programme."

James A Black, The Barn, Banchory, 30/06/24

"... wonderful. Great programme, executed perfectly. They were a delight to meet, and they left many new fans behind in Newton Stewart."

JIm Anderson, Newton Stewart and District Music Society 21/04/24

"a good-sized audience was spell-bound by the artistry of the Da Vinci Trio. (They) electrified the audience from the opening bars of the Beethoven Op 1 trio in E flat. Their almost uncanny bond delivered a sound that was hair-trigger precise and charged with feeling. The sheer beauty of what they were doing held the listeners as if in an astonishing dream, though instrumentalists among them were marvelling at the virtuosity that was being unrolled.

Particularly in the haunting Schubert Adagio Notturno in E flat major, the measured, thoughtful phrases wove an intricate pattern that brought a sense of familiarity even though the piece was a long way from the lyricism of much of Schubert's chamber work. A new piece by an Estonian composer, Arvo Pärt, had a bell-like quality coupled with the purity of old music sung in monasteries and cloisters.

The evening culminated in the magnificent Brahms piano trio in C major, Op 87. Throughout, the sense that the performers shared the single mind of the composer brought a sense of privilege to the audience. The passion of the music put a finger on the innermost emotions of listeners and left people feeling moved and exalted. This was an evening when we heard something very special, and it will stay long in the minds of all those present."

Alison Prince, Isle of Arran Music Society, 19/3/16

"a performance that kindled its neat balance of free-flowing melody and emotional warmth. ..the blend of the ensemble stood out, though not so much as to mask the personable flair of each fine musician." "These are three players who know what chamber music is all about. No battling for prominence, nor any showy arrogance or bravado, just an exemplary display of teamwork and empathetic musicianship that tinged each of their performances with compelling affection"

Kenneth Walton, The Scotsman (on Schubert’s B flat piano trio)

"The Da Vinci Trio’s dazzling performance of this masterpiece of the genre embodied both the exuberance of this music and the sheer joy of making music in the true Schubertiad spirit. Such was the power of the performance, that even after the trio had left the stage and the applause had died away, the audience sat in silence for some time, still savouring their unique shared experience. "

The Galloway News (on a performance of Schubert’s B flat piano trio)

Da Vinci Piano Trio / (violin, cello, piano)

Please contact daisy@classicalmusiciansscotland.com for further information and to book the Da Vinci Trio.

The Da Vinci Piano Trio is well known for their relaxed, witty and informative introductions and for their expressive playing.

In addition to the established repertoire, the trio attracts many new commissions, including works by Beamish, Hellawell and by Weisenberg (performed at the Edinburgh International Festival 2009).

Performances of note include festivals such as Glasgow, Dartington, Sound Festival (Aberdeen), and a live broadcast on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune.

Turning by James Black, premier performance, recorded 30 June 2024

Anthony Moffat, violin

Hailing from the Borders, Anthony Moffat was trained at the Royal Academy of Music, London by Armenian Soloist and Orchestra Leader, Manoug Parikian. He gained the highest award for violin on his graduation in 1987 winning the Marjorie Hayward Prize. His passion for Chamber music was encouraged and nurtured for many years by the members of the Amadeus Quartet but it is as devotee of the Piano Trio that he is best known outwith the orchestra.He was a founder member of both the Duke String Quartet and the Borante Piano Trio. As member of the Da Vinci Piano Trio he has toured the breadth of the country and broadcast on BBC Radio3.

His career as Orchestra Leader began as Co-leader of the Halle Orchestra until taking the post of Leader of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera in 2000. He has appeared as Guest Leader with BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland. He plays on a fine violin by C.G. Testore of Milan ca. 1705

He has been leader of the Orchestra of Scottish Opera since 2001.

Rudi de Groote, cello

Rudi de Groote grew up in South Africa and studied at the Royal College of Music in London and has undertaken masterclasses with Torlief Thedeen, David Geringas, Franz Helmerson and Moray Welsh. He is currently principal cello with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. He started his career as principal cello with this orchestra and then went on to hold the principal position in the Orchestra of Scottish Opera, the Irish Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of English National Opera in London, and the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in Norway, before returning to Scotland to rejoin the BBCSSO.

Rudi has performed as soloist under many orchestras including the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra , the Irish Chamber Orchestra and the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and under the baton of Edward Gardner, Ilan Volkov, Francesco Corti, Martin Brabbins, Jerzy Maksimiuk and Garry Walker. He is frequently invited to be guest principal cello with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic, the City of Birmingham
Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestra of Opera North, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Oslo Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Sinfonia of London and the John Wilson Orchestra.

He has frequently performed as cellist with the Chilingirian String quartet, and has performed with Marcia Crayford, Robert Cohen, Steven Osborne, Isabelle van Keulen, Jorg Widmann, Garfield Jackson and the Belcea string quartet. As a teacher, Rudi has been on the faculty at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has taught and coached chamber music at the Royal College of Music, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the Grieg Academy in Norway.

He has broadcast live for BBC Radio 3, DR, Norwegian Radio and BBC Scotland and has performed in recital at the Edinburgh and Cheltenham International Festivals. He plays on a cello by Ferdinand Gagliano dated 1777.

He is delighted to have been invited to take over from Robert Irvine in the Da Vinci Piano Trio and looks forward to many exciting concerts ahead.

Liivi Arder, piano

Estonian pianist Liivi Arder studied at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre under Professor Toivo Nahkur and Nata-Ly Sakkos. In 2010 she completed an Advanced Accompaniment Course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland under Professor Fali Pavri and in 2013-2014 she studied at the RCS as a recipient of the Sam Hutchings Fellowship award.Liivi has taken part in several competitions including the Valentino Bucchi Competition in Rome (1st Prize ), 11th Pietro Argento Music Competition in Gioia del Colle (3rd prize in chamber music category), Con Brio competition (Estonian National Television prize ) and she was awarded the Hester Dickson accompanist prize.

Liivi has been a soloist with the Chamber Orchestra of Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (EMTA) at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival, and was active with EMTA New Music Ensemble that took part in the Contemporary Music Festival in South Korea, Seoul.

As an accompanist Liivi has been working for music summer courses and many masterclasses at the RCS and also for Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She has given chamber music concerts with Nikita Naumov, Ana Cordova Andres and Peter Wesley and has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Glasgow West End Festival with the Daniel’s Beard ensemble. Along with Scottish mezzo-soprano Laura Margaret Smith she has performed at the Scottish Parliament House European Commission Estonian Presidency reception.

Currently Liivi is working as an accompanist and coach at the RCS String Department and Junior Conservatoire of Scotland.

The following was recorded at Music in the University, Glasgow University, 20 January 2022.

Arvo Pärt : Mozart Adagio from 3:20 minutes

Brahms Piano Trio no 1 in B major from 28:40 minutes

Performances

3pm, Sunday 17 January 2027: Biggar Music Club, Municipal Hall, Biggar

3pm, Sunday 21 February 2027: Melrose Music Society tbc

7.30pm, Friday 16 April 2027: Bute Arts Society

7.30pm, Friday 16 January 2026: Music in West Kilbride (Robert Irvine standing in for Rudi de Groote)

7.30pm, Friday 9 May 2025, Bute Arts Society

3pm, Sunday 13 April 2025, Melrose Music Society

7.45pm, Friday 21 March 2025, Music in Lanark