Berniya Hamie | piano 
Maja Horvat | violin 
Riya Hamie | cello

Since its formation in 2021, the award-winning Astatine Trio has emerged as one of the UK’s most exciting young ensembles, most recently being named BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists for 2025–2027. They were awarded second prize and the special prize for best performance of the prizewinning work of the composition competition at the 2025 Franz Schubert and Modern Music Competition in Graz, becoming the first UK-based ensemble to win a main prize in the competition’s history. Their other accolades include first prizes at the Birmingham International Piano Chamber Music Competition, Virtuoso & Belcanto International Chamber Competition (Lucca, Italy) and Senior Intercollegiate Piano Trio Competition in 2022. The trio have performed extensively across the UK and abroad, including at Wigmore Hall, The Glasshouse (as part of the BBC Proms), St George’s Bristol, Aldeburgh’s Jubilee Hall and the Harrogate Sunday Series. As Britten Pears Young Artists for the 2023/24 season, they made their debut appearance on BBC Radio 3’s In Tune in February 2024. They are current Hans Keller Chamber Fellows at Guildhall School of Music and Drama and are a resident ensemble at ProQuartet – Centre Européen de Musique de Chambre (Paris) for the 2025–2027 seasons. The trio have also been selected as Kirckman Concert Society artists for 2025/26.

From 2022–2025 the trio benefited from the mentorship of legendary pianist Alfred Brendel, at his personal invitation. They have undertaken residencies at Snape Maltings and at the University of Cambridge, as part of ChamberStudio’s inaugural Hans Keller Forum, and attended the 2025 IMS Prussia Cove masterclasses in the class of Thomas Adès. Currently, they are being mentored by Anthony Marwood through ChamberStudio and are a member ensemble of the European Chamber Academy.

They are also grateful for the guidance of Richard Ireland, John Myerscough, Prach Boondiskulchok, Michał Kaznowski, Luc-Marie Aguera and Riccardo Cecchetti and have worked with Alasdair Beatson, Alina Ibragimova, David Waterman, Thomas Hoppe, Yovan Markovitch, Patrick Jüdt, Minna Pensola, Indre Baikstytė, Tim Horton, Donald Grant, Adrian Brendel, Peter Nagy, Krysia Osostowicz, Christoph Richter, Bruno Giuranna, Robin Ireland, the Gould Trio and the Busch Trio, among others.

Passionate advocates for new music, the trio received the SEAM Prize for contemporary music at the 2023 Lyon International Chamber Competition, in which they were the youngest finalists. They also gave the premiere of a new piano trio by Timothy Salter in June 2025, written especially for the group.

The trio is thankful to ChamberStudio, the Piano Trio Society, Maggie Grimsdell (Music at Longhill Road), Philip Carne and the Nicholas Boas Charitable Trust for their generous support.

Image © Will Rumsey