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Petrichor Piano Trio
Violin – Robert Cavaye
Cello – Anna Leary
Piano – Ieuan Davies
The Petrichor Piano Trio is a young ensemble composed of current and past students of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Formed to take part in the Jon Ireland Competition at RWCMD in 2021, the trio has received coaching from Lucy Gould, Rosie Biss, Robin Green, Andrea Jones, Rebecca Selly, Zoe Smith, and members of Quatuor Agate. The trio was invited to take part in the Lavethan chamber music week in 2023, where they had the opportunity to work closely with Krysia Osostowicz, Robin Ireland, Prach Boondiskulchok, and Christoph Richter. The ensemble’s musical interests range from playing classical repertoire using replica period instruments to French romanticism, early 20th century British music, and more contemporary works. As well as reaching the final round of the Ireland competition, the trio was invited to compete in the 2023 McGrenery Prize and have an upcoming concert engagement in Cardiff.
Link to a recent performance (Chausson op.3 mvt. 3): https://youtu.be/VSfeoCsOGT0
Robert Cavaye
Robert Cavaye is a violinist and gambist who has recently graduated from the RWCMD, where he studied with Lucy Gould and was kindly supported by a RWCMD scholarship.. In addition to the playing in chamber ensembles, he has been a section leader in college ensembles (including leading the college symphony orchestra), played in projects with Harry Christophers, Rahki Singh, Donald Grant, Maria Włoszczowska, and Simmy Singh. He was fortunate to take part in the Brecon Baroque festival orchestra in 2022 and 2023, and is looking forward to continuing his relationship with the festival as their librarian for the 2024 edition. He was delighted to be selected for the BBC NOW experience scheme and has found his time playing alongside the orchestra in rehearsals placement immeasurably useful to his musical development. Outside of Wales, Robert has taken part in summer academies with the Berlin and Saluzzo Opera Academies, the Ammadeus Academy, Dartington Summer School (for which he received generous support from the Dartington Trust and the Joy Dodsun foundation) and the St Andrews Baroque Summer School. He was one of 60 students from across Europe to be selected for participation in the Roche Continents cross discipline arts and science collaboration week, which took place in Arles, France, focusing on responses to the changing world we live in and how to influence the people who can make a meaningful difference.
In addition to playing the violin Robert also studies the viol da gamba with Lucy Robinson and Jonathan Manson, which opens up a wealth of extra repertoire to explore and facilitated playing at the Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival with the viol consort Arculo in November 2023. Previous masterclasses and college classes have included playing to: Rachel Podger, Lesley Hatfield, Jonathan Manson, John Butt, Lucy Russell, Martin Gwilym-Jones, Bartosz Woroch, and Simon Jones. Alongside his playing career, Robert teaches strings for Neath Port Talbot Music Service, and is excited by the potential long term impact of this work.
Prior to studying at RWCMD Robert grew up in the Vale of Glamorgan before completing an MBiol in Biosciences at Durham University, where he was first introduced to the historical performance movement while leading the university Classical Ensemble (among playing in the myriad university ensembles and occasionally going to a lecture). After a well-intentioned (but deeply ineffective) attempt at teaching secondary science, he moved back to Cardiff to pursue a musical education. Outside of music, Robert’s interests lie in cycling, hillwalking (40 Munros and counting), and Ultimate Frisbee.
Ieuan Davies
A pianist from South Wales, Ieuan Davies is currently in his final year of his undergraduate degree at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under the tutelage of Robin Green. Having previously attended the RWCMD Junior Conservatoire for four years, Ieuan has enjoyed an eclectic solo programme as well as a variety of wind, string and vocal chamber ensembles. He is grateful to have received masterclasses from world-renowned artists such as Joseph Moog, Simon Lepper, Richard Uttley, Yeol Eum Son, Martin Roscoe, Trio Gaspard and the London Haydn Quartet and has taken part in both Dartington Summer School and the Lavethan Chamber Music Festival. Recent highlights include performing a Bach Brandenburg concerto alongside Anthony Marwood and Finzi’s Ecolgue for strings and piano with Cardiff Chamber Orchestra. Ieuan is the latest winner of the Eric Hodges Beethoven Prize and will be taking part in the 2024 Cavatina Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition. He is also the recipient of the Prince of Wales Scholarship, the Welsh Livery Company Junior Conservatoire Award and the John Thomas (Merthyr Tydfil) Memorial Award.
Anna Leary
Anna Leary is a third year undergraduate cello student at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama supported by a Helen Rachael Mackaness scholarship and an RWCMD scholarship, she studies under Rosie Biss. She also studies the Viol da gamba under Lucy Robinson and Jonathan Manson. In her time at college she has received masterclasses from Thomas Carrol, Tim Hugh, Ben Tarlton, Alice Neary, Sandy Bartai, Jonathan Manson and Vashti Hunter.
Highlights of her time at college have included being in the Royal Welsh String Soloists ensemble for the past year and a half performing with Anthony Marwood, members of the Manchester Collective and Pieter Wispelwey. She recently was the principle of the cello section in the Royal Welsh symphony orchestras “sounds of the spectrum” concert and performed in the Opera double bill with Carlo Rizzi of Puccini’s “Gianni Schicci” and Respighi’s “La Bella Dormente Nel Bosco”. On the Viol she performed at the 2023 Brecon Baroque festival with her ensemble the Simpson Consort.
Recently she has discovered a particular love for contemporary music and has worked with many of the composition students at the college alongside collaborating with a Trinity Laban contemporary dancer on creating a dance film of Andrea Casarrubios’ “Seven”.
Outside of college Anna has been a member of the Odyssey Festival Orchestra in her home city of London and has led the cello section in their past two concerts at Cadogan Hall, particular highlights have been playing the solos in Weber’s “Invitation to the dance” and sharing the stage with narrators such as David Suchet and Roger McGough. Odyssey funded her to go to Romania to take part in the 2023 Icon Arts festival and perform in masterclasses with Dragan Djordjevic.
Outside of music, Anna loves working in pubs and bars and going on walks.
