One of the oldest and most celebrated chamber ensembles on the world stage, the Wanderer Trio brings together violinist Jean Marc Phillips-Varjabédian, cellist Raphaël Pidoux, and pianist Vincent Coq. On October 21, at 8 p.m., they will perform at the Principal Theatre in Alicante. The program presents a dialogue across eras with intimate works by Schumann and Schubert alongside Beethoven’s expressive genius.
The ensemble has long been praised for its sensitivity and virtuosity, and for a nearly telepathic musical rapport. Over the years, the Wanderer Trio has become a fixture of international concert life. The name speaks to a core idea the group embraces: a journey marked by curiosity and openness, a dual path that moves from the romantic horizons of Haydn to contemporary scores, all while exploring how travel—both literal and interior—shapes music.
The trio members trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, later pursuing studies at Bloomington’s School and at the Juilliard School in New York. They have taken part in masterclasses with renowned figures such as Jean-Claude Pennetier, Jean Hubeau, Janos Starker, Menahem Pressler of the Beaux Arts Trio, and the Amadeus Quartet. Their early accolades include the ARD International Music Competition in Munich in 1988 and the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in the United States in 1990. In their formative years they attended the Roque d’Anthéron piano festival masterclasses, a tradition they have continued as educators for more than a decade.
A Strad profile lauded them as a “wandering star,” and they have performed in the world’s most prestigious concert halls. The list reads like a hall of fame: the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Musikverein, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London, the Opera of Beijing, the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, the National Auditorium in Madrid, La Scala in Milan, the Grand Hall of the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow, Place des Arts in Montreal, the Herkulessäle in Munich, the Washington D.C. Congress Palace, the Kioi Hall in Tokyo, the Tonhalle in Zurich, and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. They have appeared at major festivals including Edinburgh, Montreux, Feldkirch, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, Rheingau Music Festival, La Roque d’Anthéron, Les Folles Journées de Nantes, Stresa, Granada, Osaka, and three editions of the Salzburg Festival.
In the realm of triple concert repertoire, the Wanderer Trio has collaborated more than a hundred times with international orchestras. Highlights include the Orchestre National de France, the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio-France, orchestras from Toulouse, Nice, Pays de Loire, Picardie, Pau-Pays de Béarn, Montpellier, Liège, Tenerife, Santiago de Chile, La Coruña, the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Berlin, the Malaysia Philharmonia Orchestra, the Württembergische Philharmonie, the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, Sinfonia Varsovia, the Grazer Philharmoniker, the Nürnberger Symphoniker, the National Symphony Orchestra of Moscow, the Stockholm Chamber Orchestra, and many others.
Recordings have appeared on labels such as Sony Classical, Universal, Cyprès, Mirare, and Capriccio. In 1999, the trio began a long collaboration with Harmonia Mundi, releasing more than twenty recordings, several of which received notable honors including the Choc de la Musique, Gramophone Editor’s Choice, Fono Forum’s Monat, BBC Music Magazine’s CD of the Month, the Golden Diapason, and the Midem Classical Award.
The Wanderer Trio’s performances of Mendelssohn trios were singled out by the New York Times as a reference in celebration of the composer’s bicentennial, while their Schubert trio opus 100 interpretations were highlighted by the BBC in 2016 among fourteen versions. More recent albums explore the trios of Rachmaninoff, Shostakovich, Schumann, and César Franck, continuing a tradition of expressive depth and technical command.
The Wanderer Trio has earned the Victoires de la Musique in three separate years as the best instrumental ensemble of the year. In 2014, Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian and Raphaël Pidoux were named violin and cello professors at the Conservatoire National de Musique et Danse de Paris, while Vincent Coq has taught chamber music at the Haute École de musique de Lausanne since 2010. In 2015, the trio members were elevated to Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, recognizing their significant contributions to the arts.
Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian performs on a Charles Coquet violin (Paris, 2014) and on a Gand Père violin (Paris, 1840, loaned by Nicolas Dufourcq). Raphaël Pidoux plays a Gioffredo CAPPA cello from Saluzzo, circa 1680.