Trio Arnold

Named in homage to the Viennese composer Arnold Schönberg, the Arnold Trio was founded in 2018 between Berlin and Paris. A rare and surprising object in the European musical landscape, this string trio has rapidly created a strong identity for itself through the constant search for a sonority of great homogeneity usually reserved exclusively for quartets and an ensemble character of impressive expressive force. 

Versatile musicians and winners of prestigious international competitions, Shuichi Okada (violin), Manuel Vioque-Judde (viola) and Bumjun Kim (cello) forged their common musical DNA over more than a decade at the Seiji Ozawa International Academy Switzerland, where they received guidance from Pamela Frank, Nobuko Imai, Sadao Harada and Seiji Ozawa. 

They are regularly invited to perform on the world's greatest stages, both as soloists and chamber musicians, and have already appeared at the Victoria Hall in Geneva, the Théâtre des Champs Elysées, the Philharmonie de Paris, the BOZAR in Brussels, Schloss Elmau, the Matsumoto Harmony Hall and the Tanglewood Seiji Ozawa Hall...

The Arnold Trio's first album, devoted to Ludwig van Beethoven's three string trios Op. 9 (Mirare 2021), was hailed by the critics and awarded a ‘diapason d'or’. Their second opus, recorded live, is dedicated to Richard Strauss (B-record 2023), in which the trio takes centre stage with numerous guests to deliver an impressive version of the piano quartet opus 13 and the Metamorphoses for string septet. Finally, their third album is a tribute to Hungarian trio music by Dohnanyi, Kodaly and Lajtha (Mirare 2024). 

Recognised as one of Europe's most impressive young ensembles, the trio has already been heard on France Musique, Radio Classique, RTBF, BBC Radio 3 and broadcast live on ARTE Concert and Medici TV.

The members of the Arnold Trio are laureates of the Fondation Banque Populaire and are in residence at the Fondation Singer-Polignac.

Shuichi Okada, violin
Manuel Vioque-Judde, viola 
Bumjun Kim, cello

May 2024