The musicians of Trio Goya – the violinist Kati Debretzeni, cellist Sebastian Comberti, and fortepianist Maggie Cole – came together out of a mutual fascination with the rich and innovative trio repertoire that echoes the artistic development of Francisco Goya (1746 – 1828). To this music, which follows the Enlightenment path from classical elegance to romantic expression, they bring a combined wealth of period instrument experience, exemplified in their readings of works by J.C. Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Stephen Storace, Beethoven, and Schubert.

Born in Transylvania, Kati Debretzeni studied the violin with Ora Shiran in Israel, and the baroque violin with Catherine Mackintosh and Walter Reiter at the Royal College of Music in London. Since 2000 she has led the English Baroque Soloists under the direction of Sir John Eliot Gardiner. Her playing can be heard on their recordings of the Bach Cantata Pilgrimage as well as Bach’s Brandenburg concerti, Mass in B minor, and St Matthew Passion. Appointed a leader of the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in 2008, she has worked with Sir Simon Rattle, William Christie, Sir Roger Norrington, Iván Fischer, Ádám Fischer, Robin Ticciati, Emmanuelle Haïm, Ottavio Dantone, and others. She often appears as soloist and director with the Orchestra, in projects ranging from works by Berlioz with Dame Sarah Connolly to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons with the Henri Oguike Dance Company. As a chamber musician, over the years she has been a member of Florilegium, Ricordo, and, most recently, Trio Goya. In demand as guest leader and director, she has worked with the Academy of Ancient Music, The English Concert, The King’s Consort, Arte dei Suonatori in Poland, Victoria Baroque Players in Canada, Barokkanerne in Norway, Amarillis in France, and Barokkada and the Jerusalem Baroque Orchestra in Israel. Her most recent recording features concerti by Telemann with Barokkanerne. Kati Debretzeni teaches the baroque and classical violin at the Royal Conservatoire of Music in The Hague.

Sebastian Comberti was born in London and studied in Italy with Amedeo Baldovino, and later with Derek Simpson and Sidney Griller at the Royal Academy of Music in London. He was a founder member of the Bochmann Quartet until 1983 when he became principal cello with the London Mozart Players, a position he continues to hold. Having a keen interest in historically informed performance, which has resulted in his participation with a great many of London’s period instrument groups, he has appeared as principal cello and soloist with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and The Hanover Band. As a member of several chamber groups, including Trio Goya and Divertimenti Ensemble, he has recorded for numerous record labels. In April 2001 Sebastian Comberti founded the label Cello Classics, devoted to recordings of rare repertoire and historical recordings, himself releasing several CDs of sonatas by Boccherini and Stephen Paxton, early-nineteenth-century works with fortepiano, and concertos by Haydn and Zumsteeg with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.

Maggie Cole enjoys an international musical life, playing and recording on harpsichord, fortepiano, and modern piano. Best known for harpsichord recitals of repertoire spanning the seventeenth to twenty-first centuries, she is also fascinated by the classical period and explores this mainly with her fortepiano-based Trio Goya. Working regularly with Britten Sinfonia, The Nash Ensemble, and the USA-based Sarasa Chamber Music Ensemble has given her opportunities to perform as soloist in works as diverse as Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and Henri Dutilleux’s Les Citations. Numerous duo collaborations have resulted in recordings of songs by Purcell with Michael Chance, Bach’s complete sonatas for violin and harpsichord with Catherine Mackintosh, sonatas for cello and piano by Boccherini with Steven Isserlis, and Mozartiana with Sebastian Comberti. The present recording with Trio Goya of piano trios by Beethoven for Chandos Records was preceded by the group’s much acclaimed CD The Heart of Invention, containing piano trios by Haydn. Her solo discography includes recordings of Bach’s ‘Goldberg’ Variations, keyboard sonatas by Scarlatti and Soler, and Poulenc’s Concert champêtre. Maggie Cole is professor of fortepiano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and teaches early keyboards at the Dartington International Summer School.