Music in focus

Archive

Taru Ensemble's past concert projects, and our repertoire, sorted by instrumentation.

Season by season

Past Projects

Trio performing in a wood-paneled hall The musicians after the concert in front of historical paintings at Zunftsaal Schaffhausen The ensemble performing on stage Trio performing at Zunftsaal Schaffhausen beneath a chandelier String quartet performing in a half-timbered hall Cellist and pianist performing in the Lesegesellschaft Basel library The ensemble performing at Musikmeister Schaffhausen
2025/26 Season

Music of Modernity: Between Identity and Change

A curated programme on cultural identity and artistic transformation in the 20th century — in five thematically structured chamber music programmes, complemented by free chamber music workshops at music schools and concerts in retirement and care homes.

I National Sound Worlds String Quartet

  • Benjamin Britten — Simple Symphony, Op. 4 (1933–34)
  • Jean Sibelius — String Quartet "Voces intimae", Op. 56 (1909)
  • Nov 26, 2025 Museum Allschwil
  • Nov 28, 2025 Gedenkstätte Riehen
  • Nov 30, 2025 Begegnungszentrum Rüdlingen

Fraynni Rui, Renato Wiedemann, Alessandro D'Amico, Joonas Pitkänen

II Masterful Arrangements Piano Trio

  • Claude Debussy / arr. Sally Beamish — La Mer, for violin, cello and piano (1903–05/2018)
  • Arnold Schoenberg / arr. Eduard Steuermann — Verklärte Nacht, Op. 4 (1899/1932)
  • Dec 7, 2025 Zunftsaal Schaffhausen
  • Dec 10, 2025 Landgut Unterlöchli Lucerne
  • Dec 13, 2025 Lesegesellschaft Basel

Fraynni Rui, Joonas Pitkänen, Fiore Favaro

III Nadia Boulanger and Her Students Piano Trio

  • Lili Boulanger — Deux morceaux for violin and piano (1911–14)
  • Nadia Boulanger — Trois Pièces for cello and piano (1914)
  • Jean Français — Piano Trio (1986)
  • Grażyna Bacewicz — Violin Sonata No. 1 "Sonata da camera" (1945)
  • Frank Martin — Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises (1925)
  • Mar 8, 2026 Musikmeister Schaffhausen
  • Mar 14 & 15, 2026 Elfenau Bern

Fraynni Rui, Joonas Pitkänen, Aleck Carratta

IV Contrasts and Dialogues Piano Quintet

  • Darius Milhaud — La Création du Monde, for piano quintet, Op. 81b (1923)
  • Béla Bartók — Piano Quintet in C major, Sz. 23 (1903–04)
  • Jun 7, 2026 Zunftsaal Schaffhausen
  • Jun 13, 2026 Viva Kirche Liestal
  • Jun 14, 2026 Musikschule Basel

Fraynni Rui, Luis Montes, Alessandro D'Amico, Joonas Pitkänen, Fiore Favaro

V Between Tradition and Modernity String Trio & Piano Trio

  • Sofia Gubaidulina — String Trio (1988)
  • Nikolai Kapustin — Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 69 (1992)
  • Daniel Schnyder — Piano Trio (1st version 1999–2000)
  • May 2, 2026 Lyceum Club Basel
  • May 3, 2026 Museum Allschwil
  • May 10, 2026 Begegnungszentrum Rüdlingen

Fraynni Rui, Alessandro D'Amico, Joonas Pitkänen, Aleck Carratta

To close the season, the ensemble led a free chamber music workshop on June 13 and 14, 2026 with students from Musikschule Basel and Regionale Musikschule Liestal, culminating in a joint workshop concert.

String trio performing in a church, with a chandelier in the background The Taru Ensemble musicians after a concert String quartet performing at Museum Kleines Klingental String quartet taking a bow at Museum Kleines Klingental Three ensemble musicians after a concert Solo violist performing Cellist and pianist performing
2024/25 Season

Sous le charme de Ravel

To mark Maurice Ravel's 150th birthday, the ensemble devoted the season to Ravel's sound world and his contemporaries — a musical panorama showing both the brilliance of the French master and the connections and influences that shaped his work.

I Programme String Quartet

  • Maurice Ravel — String Quartet in F major
  • Erkki Melartin — String Quartet No. 4, Op. 62
  • Feb 27, 2025 Seniorenhaus Ev. Stadtmission Basel (voluntary)
  • Feb 28, 2025 Fachwerk Allschwil
  • Mar 2, 2025 Museum Kleines Klingental Basel

Fraynni Rui, Luis Montes, Alessandro D'Amico, Joonas Pitkänen

II Programme Piano Trio

  • Maurice Ravel — Violin Sonata No. 2
  • George Gershwin — Short Story, arr. for cello and piano
  • Maurice Ravel — Piano Trio in A minor
  • Mar 14, 2025 Le Cap, Église Française Bern
  • Mar 16, 2025 Viva Kirche Liestal
  • Mar 16, 2025 Alterspflegeheim Humanitas Riehen (voluntary)

Fiore Favaro, Fraynni Rui, Joonas Pitkänen

III Programme Piano Quartet

  • Maurice Ravel — Pavane pour une infante défunte, for piano
  • Igor Stravinsky — Élégie for solo viola
  • Gabriel Fauré — Élégie for cello and piano
  • Maurice Ravel — Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré, for violin and piano
  • Gabriel Fauré — Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor
  • May 3, 2025 Lyceum Saal Basel
  • May 7, 2025 Grosser Saal, Musikschule Konservatorium Bern

Aleck Carratta, Fraynni Rui, Alessandro D'Amico, Joonas Pitkänen

From duo to piano quintet

Repertoire by Instrumentation

Duo — Violin & Piano

  • Maurice Ravel — Violin Sonata No. 2
  • Maurice Ravel — Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré
  • Lili Boulanger — Deux morceaux
  • Grażyna Bacewicz — Violin Sonata No. 1 "Sonata da camera"
  • Väinö Raitio — Elegy
  • Jean Sibelius — Six Pieces, Op. 79
  • Jean Sibelius — Cantique and Devotion, Op. 77
  • Johannes Brahms — Sonata No. 1, G major, Op. 78
  • Johannes Brahms — Sonata No. 2, A major, Op. 100
  • Johannes Brahms — Sonata No. 3, D minor, Op. 108
  • Alfred Schnittke — Sonata No. 2 "Quasi una Sonata"
  • Béla Bartók — Rhapsody No. 2
  • Alfred Schnittke — Suite in the Old Style
  • Franz Schubert — Sonatina No. 1, D major, D. 384
  • Franz Schubert — Sonatina No. 2, A minor, D. 385
  • Franz Schubert — Sonatina No. 3, G minor, D. 408
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata No. 4, A minor, Op. 23
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata No. 6, A major, Op. 30 No. 1
  • Ottorino Respighi — Violin Sonata, B minor

Duo — Cello & Piano

  • George Gershwin — Short Story (arr.)
  • Gabriel Fauré — Élégie
  • Nadia Boulanger — Trois Pièces
  • Dmitri Shostakovich — Sonata in D minor, Op. 40
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata No. 1, F major, Op. 5 No. 1
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata No. 2, G minor, Op. 5 No. 2
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata No. 3, A major, Op. 69
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata No. 4, C major, Op. 102 No. 1
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Sonata No. 5, D major, Op. 102 No. 2
  • Robert Schumann — Fantasiestücke, Op. 73
  • Bohuslav Martinů — Sonata No. 1
  • Zoltán Kodály — Sonata, Op. 4
  • Sergei Rachmaninoff — Sonata, G minor, Op. 19
  • Claude Debussy — Sonata
  • Robert Schumann — Fünf Stücke im Volkston, Op. 102
  • Johannes Brahms — Sonata No. 2, F major, Op. 99
  • Bohuslav Martinů — Pastorales
  • Claude Debussy — Intermezzo and Scherzo
  • Robert Schumann — Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — 7 Variations on "Bei Männern, welche Liebe fühlen", WoO 46
  • Lera Auerbach — 24 Preludes and Postludes
  • Thomas Demenga — New York Honk
  • Nikolai Kapustin — Burlesque
  • Isang Yun — Espace I
  • César Franck — Sonata, A major (arr. for cello)

Duo — Viola & Piano

  • Nikolai Kapustin — Sonata, Op. 69
  • Robert Schumann — Märchenbilder, Op. 113

Duo — Violin & Cello

  • Aulis Sallinen — Duo per due
  • W. A. Mozart — Duo in G major, KV 423
  • Zoltán Kodály — Duo, Op. 7
  • Sauli Zinovjev — Double Trouble

Duo — Viola & Cello

  • Sebastian Fagerlund — Scherzic

Duo — Violin & Viola

  • Jean Sibelius — Duo in C major

String Trio

  • Sofia Gubaidulina — String Trio
  • Franz Schubert — String Trio No. 1 in B-flat major, D 471
  • Per Nørgård — Pastorale from "Babette's Feast"
  • Jean Sibelius — String Trio in G minor
  • Kaija Saariaho — Cloud Trio

Piano Trio

  • Maurice Ravel — Piano Trio in A minor
  • Claude Debussy / arr. Beamish — La Mer
  • Arnold Schoenberg / arr. Steuermann — Verklärte Nacht
  • Jean Français — Piano Trio
  • Frank Martin — Trio sur des mélodies populaires irlandaises
  • Daniel Schnyder — Piano Trio
  • Franz Schubert — Piano Trio No. 2, E-flat major, D. 929
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Trio No. 1, E-flat major, Op. 1 No. 1
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Trio No. 3, C minor, Op. 1 No. 3
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — Piano Trio No. 5 "Ghost", D major, Op. 70 No. 1
  • Paul Juon — Piano Trio No. 1, Op. 17
  • Daniel Schnyder — "Pulsar", Symphony for Piano Trio
  • Chen Yi — Tibetan Tunes
  • Johannes Brahms — Piano Trio No. 1, B major, Op. 8
  • Johannes Brahms — Piano Trio No. 2, C major, Op. 87
  • Johannes Brahms — Piano Trio No. 3, C minor, Op. 101

String Quartet

  • Maurice Ravel — String Quartet in F major, Op. 35
  • Erkki Melartin — String Quartet No. 4, Op. 62
  • Jean Sibelius — String Quartet "Voces intimae", Op. 56
  • Benjamin Britten — Simple Symphony, Op. 4
  • Cecilia Damström — String Quartet No. 2, "Letters"
  • Samuel Barber — String Quartet, Op. 11
  • Joonas Kokkonen — String Quartet No. 3
  • Lotta Wennäkoski — String Quartet "Culla d'aria"
  • Ludwig van Beethoven — String Quartet No. 7, Op. 59 No. 1 "Razumovsky 1"
  • Kaija Saariaho — Terra memoria
  • Pehr Henrik Nordgren — String Quartet No. 5, Op. 69
  • Heitor Villa-Lobos — String Quartet No. 1
  • Aldemaro Romero — Fuga con Pajarillo (arr. for string quartet)
  • Timo Alakotila — String Quartet No. 4
  • Justinian Tamusuza — "Ekitundu ekisooka"
  • Hamza El Din — "Escalay"

Piano Quartet

  • Gabriel Fauré — Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15
  • W. A. Mozart — Piano Quartet in G minor, KV 478
  • Sauli Zinovjev — Piano Quartet "Chasse-Neige"
  • Joachim Raff — Piano Quartet No. 2 in C minor, Op. 202 No. 2
  • Johannes Brahms — Piano Quartet No. 1, G minor, Op. 25
  • Johannes Brahms — Piano Quartet No. 3, C minor, Op. 60

Piano Quintet

  • Darius Milhaud — La Création du Monde, Op. 81b
  • Béla Bartók — Piano Quintet in C major, Sz. 23
  • Johannes Brahms — Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34
  • Bongani Ndodana-Breen — "Safika: Three Tales of African Migration"
  • Pēteris Vasks — The Fruit of Silence

Piano Four Hands (1 Piano)

  • Johannes Brahms — 16 Waltzes, Op. 39
  • Johannes Brahms — Hungarian Dances
  • Claude Debussy — Petite Suite, L. 65
  • W. A. Mozart — Sonata in D major, KV 381
  • Franz Schubert — Fantasia in F minor, D. 940
  • Béla Bartók — Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 56 (arr. Aleck Carratta)

Two Pianos

  • Johannes Brahms — Sonata, Op. 34b
  • Johannes Brahms — Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Op. 56b
  • Maurice Ravel — La Valse, M. 72a
  • Maurice Ravel — Introduction et allegro, M. 46a
  • George Gershwin — Fantasy on "Porgy & Bess" (arr. Percy Grainger)
  • Alfred Schnittke — Gogol Suite (arr. V. Borovikov/Carratta/Favaro)
  • Béla Bartók — Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, Sz. 110