Ludlow Arts: Classical

Thursday Classical

Thursday 12 March 2026

7:30pm

Ludlow Assembly Rooms

Madeleine Mitchell: violin
Kirsten Jensen: cello
Julian Milford: piano

John Ireland: Piano Trio No.2 in E minor
Clara Schumann: Piano Trio in G minor, Op.17
Johannes Brahms: Piano Trio in B major, Op.8

This is the second of two concerts this season by the London Chamber Ensemble both with programmes including neglected works by British composers, as well as concert hall favourites.

Join us for an evening of lyrical beauty and romantic intensity as three masterpieces for piano trio take centre stage. The programme opens with John Ireland’s Piano Trio No. 2, a work of haunting introspection and pastoral warmth. Written in 1917, amid the turbulence of the First World War, Ireland’s trio blends impressionistic colour with deeply felt emotion, and its uniquely English voice.

Clara Schumann’s Piano Trio in G minor is a radiant and heartfelt piece that stands among the finest 19th-century trios and is often cited as one of her most mature compositions. Clara’s music, rich in invention and rhythmic energy, reveals her extraordinary gifts as both composer and pianist.

Johannes Brahms’s Piano Trio in B major, Op. 8 in its 1890 revision is a monumental reworking of his youthful masterpiece. In this mature version, Brahms refines the sweeping romanticism of the original into a taut, expressive dialogue between the three instruments.

Together, these three trios trace a fascinating journey through Romantic and early modern sound worlds — spanning intimacy, passion, and reflection — performed by outstanding chamber musicians in an atmosphere of warmth and shared discovery.

Tonight's artists have had great success with their concerts including a major romantic trio preceded by shorter Anglo/French works, with an annual concert at London’s Leighton House, most recently sold out. They have received awards from the Ireland, Dyson and Delius Trusts.

Madeleine Mitchell founded the London Chamber Ensemble in 1992 at the request of the Vale of Glamorgan Festival to perform Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, with pianist Joanna MacGregor. They went on to play this at the BBC Proms and to record what became the widely recommended version for many years. The group has given many broadcasts, concerts and workshops internationally.

An all star group which manages to outdo all its rivals (Gramophone).

Tickets £22.00 (u18 £7.00) from Ludlow Assembly Rooms box office HERE