Founded in 1997, the Trio Rachmaninoff de Montreal has been thrilling audiences in Canada, the USA, and Europe with its intense, dynamic, and distinctive approach. The ensemble, whose repertoire covers Haydn to Shostakovich, named the trio after composer Sergey Rachmaninoff, because of their special emphasis on romantic and post-romantic works. The members studied at the Russian Music Conservatories in Moscow and Saint Petersburg and they inherited the traditions of the Russian School.
In Canada, the Trio Rachmaninoff has been invited to perform within prestigious chamber music series, including Pro Musica (Montreal), the Montreal Chamber Music Society, the Lakeshore Chamber Music Society, and the Canadian Chamber Academy (Toronto, Niagara on the Lake). CBC Radio has featured a number of their concerts. They have participated in various festivals in Canada, the USA, Europe, and Latin America, such as the Festival Mont-Tremblant (Quebec), the Niagara International Chamber Music Festival (Ontario), the Björklunden 2000 Music Series (Wisconsin), and the Weathersfield Music Festival (Vermont).
In Europe, the Trio was invited by the Sofia Music Weeks, Varna International Summer Festival, and the International Chamber Festivals in Plovdiv and Stara Zagora (Bulgaria).
More recently, the Trio Rachmaninoff performed a concert for the International Festival “Bravissimo” in Guatemala City (Central America).
Patrice Laré, piano
Born in Paris, Patrice Laré commenced piano lessons with Igor Lavrov. At the age of 16 he studied with Pierre Sancan at the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris. At 17, he was admitted to the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory in Moscow, where he studied for eight years in the class of Youri Slessarev. In 1990, he obtained the Master of Fine Arts Degree and two years later, an Artist Diploma. He continued his studies at the University of Montreal under Dr. Natalie Pepin. In 1994, he won the Concerto Competition of the University of Montreal. In May 1998, he completed his Doctorate at the University of Montreal under Marc Durand.
Natalia Kononova, violin
Born in Saint Petersburg, Natalia Kononova began violin studies at the age of four with Lev Ivaschenko at the Special Music School of the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in Saint Petersburg. Later, she studied five years with Vladimir Ovcharek and Tamara Fidler in the same conservatory, where she obtained her Master of Fine Arts Degree in 1995. She is a top prize winner at the All-Russia Violin Competition (1989) and the David Oistrakh International Violin Competition in Isserlohn, Germany (1993).
Velitchka Yotcheva, cello
Born in Stara Zagora (Bulgaria), Velitchka Yotcheva began her cello lessons at the age of five. At 17, she was admitted to the Moscow State Conservatory, where she studied for five years with Marina Tchaikovskya and Valentin Feigin, obtaining her Master of Fine Arts Degree in 1992. Winner of two national competitions in Bulgaria, she also earned the second prize of the First International Competition of the Orford Arts Centre in 1996. She completed a Doctoral Degree at the University of Montreal in 2000, under Yuli Turovsky. In 2001, Velitchka Yotcheva released a recording of the Bach Suites.
