Album Notes

The Telesto Trio was founded in 2001 after John Addison and Tiziana Pintus discovered their shared passion for the music of Sofia Gubaidulina. The trio has since performed in various countries including Japan, the Czech Republic, Switerland, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, The Netherlands and Australia.
Telesto enjoys working closely with composers and has found particularly inspiring the contact with Ms. Sofia Gubaidulina. Their first CD, (Rejoice!, Silenzio, In Croce) in honor of Ms. Gubaidulina's 75th birthday, was launched in October 2006 at the opening ceremony of the Gubaidulina Festival in Amsterdam, Muziekgebouw aan ‘t IJ.

Sofia Gubaidulina over Telesto performance: "I have never heard the piece (Rejoice!) played so well, Telesto succeded in grasping the essence of the piece and with amazing fantasy bring it to life.."

Heather Kurzbauer, Corresponding Editor Strad Magazine London:
"This is playing that really inspires: there's no disguising the spirit of a
composer who transcends the mundane and takes us to deeply spiritual worlds. A treasure of a release!"

PRESS:
Real Time Magazine Sidney, Australia, June-July 2008, Jon Dale: Adelaide Festival Centre, Adelaide Contemporary Music Festival "...a festival highlight: the Telesto Duo’s breathtaking performance of Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina’s sonata for violin and cello,Rejoice!... Particularly affecting was a series of harmonics, quietly wrung from the violin by Tiziana Pintus, which held the collective breath of the Artspace audience and briefly transformed the space’s antiseptic vibe into an ennobled zone—reflective and smart, without any recourse to pious display."

Whole Note, Toronto CA, October 2007, Andrew Timar:
"The Telesto Trio was founded by three accomplished chamber musicians(...) in order to perform the music of Sofia Gubaidulina and they certainly do the works proud, playing with passion and secure musicianship of the highest order. The recorded sound is clear and dynamically full. Recommended."

Luister (Eindhoven, NL) September 2007, CD Telesto Trio (Camenae 1)
Performance 9
"The first piece was composed for Natalia Gutman and Oleg Kagan: two musicians who are not averse to sweeping, dramatic gestures in their playing. In contrast, the cellist and violinist of the Telesto Trio (John Addison and Tiziana Pintus) avoid demonstrative emotional display as much as possible, yet they succeed in accomplishing the same level of intensity as the duo that commissioned the work. This is much to the credit of the musicians, while it also testifies to the versatility of the composition… Listening to this CD, which features several of her finest works, it is above all the music that one hears and scarcely the musicians: a testament to this trio’s musical dedication and insight." Emanuel Overbeeke

The Strad Magazine (London, UK) Juli 2007, CD Telesto Trio (Camenae 1)
“Fidelity to the notes and dedication to the cause can be taken as read…Microtones and fragile resolutions, Ligeti and Shostakovich, uncertainty and faith are all present and correct” Peter Quantrill

Jyllands-Posten (Viby DK) June 2007 ****
"...such a significant CD…" John Christiansen

Trouw (The Netherlands) 21 October 2006: CD Telesto Trio (Camenae 1)
"Telesto trio love for Gubaidulina's music splashes out of the performances …In Silenzio one hears the trio inching forward towards heaven with rhythmic tautness and mysterious whispered tones.“For Sofia, on the occasion of her 75th birthday”, is the festive announcement on the CD cover. Her portrait on the cover calls to mind the famous print of Che Guevara. Gubaidulina as the spiritual heroine of contemporary music." Anthony Fiumara

Het Parool (The Netherlands) 16 october 2006: Gubaidulina Festival, Rejoice: " … impeccable performance from the violinist Tiziana Pintus and the cellist John Addison.."

La Nuova (Italy) september 2001: "Telesto Trio offered a lucid interpretation of these three works (Gubaidulina) and at the same time succeeded in creating in the listener the emotions aroused by the music of the composer." Antonio Ligios

BN/De stem (The Netherlands) september 2001: "Telestro Trio bewitched the listener with sounds. It was a display of diverse techniques, with a palette rich in colours and nuances. The performance was captivating and the musicians played with full conviction." JeanetteVergouwen