Trio Bohémo won the first prize in the chamber music category and the audience prize at the 28th International Johannes Brahms Competition in Pörtschach, Austria. This is the second major success in recent weeks for the group, which is made up of three Czech musicians, after winning the newly established “Filippo Nicosia” Award in Italy a week earlier.

The members of the trio—Kristina Vocetková (violoncello), Matouš Pěruška (violin), and Jan Vojtek (piano)—were students of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. Pianist Jan Vojtek won the Annie Fischer Scholarship, and was a student of Balázs Réti, and Attila Némethy. The other two members of the trio also finished their studies in Budapest this year. After just a few months of working together, the group won second prize in a Swiss competition. During the pandemic, they performed at two successful televised charity concerts in the Czech Republic, with viewers donating nearly €200,000 to charitable causes including Sisters of Charity hospitals in Italy.

In the three rounds of the prestigious international competition, Trio Bohémo competed against several chamber ensembles, mostly from Europe, with a programme of works by Brahms, Haydn, Beethoven, Schoenfield, Martinů, and Liszt.

The young trio is currently preparing for a series of international appearances, including the Flanders Festival and a debut at London’s Wigmore Hall in the final of the 30th Parkhouse Award chamber music competition, in addition to performing on stages in the Czech Republic until the end of this year. They also perform in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Budapest audiences will also have the opportunity to hear the three young musicians this autumn, when they will give a joint concert with the Chaos String Quartet at the Solti Hall of the Liszt Academy on 5 November as part of the ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy) showcase days.

You can find out more about the trio on their website, or keep an eye on their Facebook page for the latest news.