The Kirker Ischia Music Festival

The Balthasar Piano Trio is made up of three leading well know British musicians each with their own important careers. It was formed in 2021 by the pianist Iain Burnside, the violinist Michael Foyle and cellist Tim Hugh.

Ailish Tynan comes from Mullingar in County Westmeath and she studied at Trinity College, Dublin, at The Royal Irish Academy of Music and at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She joined the roster of young artists at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden for the 2003/2004 seasons and has sung many major roles there over the years and during the 2022/23 season will sing the role of Berta in Il barbiere di Siviglia and the First Lady in Die Zauberflote at The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. 

In 2021 she sang Mimi at Grange Park Opera and this season she sang the role of Despina at Garsington Opera. Ailish is a consummate recitalist and has given many performances with pianist, Iain Burnside. She appears regularly at Wigmore Hall which is where we first heard her sing ’Pregnant’ in recital with Iain and Benjamin Appl.

The Scottish pianist and award-winning broadcaster Iain Burnside has worked with the world’s leading singers for more than 40 years. He teaches at the National Opera Studio, the Royal Irish Academy of Music, and with young singers at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden.

Stephan Loges was born in Dresden and was the winner of the first Wigmore Hall Song Competition which led to the start of his international career as a recitalist and soloist.

Ariel Lanyi was born in Jerusalem and studied there before moving to London where he continued his studies at the Royal Academy of Music. He took part in the prestigious 2021 Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont and was selected by the Young Classical Artists Trust in New York and London.

"Performer, editor, composer and teacher, Simon Rowland-Jones has always led a very busy, all-embracing musical life. He was founder violist of the Chilingirian Quartet, in which he played for a total of ten years, and subsequently performed with many other leading chamber groups. 

His solo CDs, on the Meridian and Etcetera labels, include the first-ever complete version of the Bach Cello Suites on viola. Peters Edition published his viola transcription of the suites shortly after the recording was made and he then went on to make a new critical/performing edition of the Haydn String Quartets. His many works include pieces for viola, four string quartets, a string trio, a piano quartet, songs and ‘A Turn Outside’, a musical adaptation of a play by Stevie Smith commissioned by Dame Josephine Barstow. He teaches viola and chamber music at the Royal College of Music and is co-director of the North Norfolk Music Festival."