Biography
Trio Opal
Eriko Nagayama/violin
Joel Siepmann/cello
Yi-Shing Cheng/piano
The prize-winning Trio Opal was founded in 2017 during each member’s study at the Royal
Academy of Music. They were nominated to represent the Royal Academy in the 2018
Intercollegiate Piano Trio Competition in Birmingham, in which they were awarded first
prize. They were also finalists in the inaugural Birmingham International Piano Chamber
Music Festival in November 2018. Recently, they have awarded the 3rd prize in the
Trondheim International Chamber Music competition 2019 as well as the Kim Trio
commission prize and the Audience prize, and are invited to be back to the Festival in 2020.
They have performed at venues including Wigmore Hall, Colston Hall, the Ivor Gurney Hall in
Gloucester, the Royal Academy of Music, St Mary’s Perivale, St Barnabas Church, Ealing, St.
Martin-in-the-Fields and many more in the U.K. In April 2018 and July 2019 they were
invited to a tour to Ferrandou, France, where they performed a wide range of repertoire in
three full evening concerts, organised by David Wilson-Johnson.
In Summer 2019 they were also invited to the Lake District Summer Music Festival, Rye Arts
Festival, Dartington International Summer School and live broadcast on the BBC radio 3 “In
Tune”.
Their future engagements include concerts at the Royal Academy of Music, the Royal
Birmingham Conservatory, St. Mary’s Perivale, and the Barnes Music Society. In February
2020 Trio Opal will take part in the Chamber Music in Residence scheme of the Britten Pears
Young Artist Program in Snape Maltings, Aldeburgh.
Trio Opal received coaching from world-renowned professors violinist Gyorgy Pauk, cellist
Christoph Richter and pianist Michael Dussek. They also receive further coaching through
the King’s Place Chamber Studio with Alasdair Beatson and Christoph Richter. Each
member’s extensive performing experience has led them to win competitions, play in the
top orchestras of London such as LPO, LSO and RPO, to perform on live radio and Wigmore
Hall and more. After graduating, they were invited to be CAVATINA-Trio-In-Residence as a
fellow ensemble at the Royal Academy of Music and are continuing their work as Chamber Music Fellows in the academic year 2019/20.
Eriko plays a violin by Nicolo Gagliano, Naples, 1755 and Joel plays a cello by Giulio Degani, Venezia, 1906 kindly on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.