Goldberg Variations

Bach's Goldberg Variations stand, along with a handful of other masterpieces, at the pinnacle of the composer's astoundingly rich output. Originally written for a harpsichord with two keyboards, for a long time they were considered too esoteric and technically demanding to be included in the mainstream repertoire. However, Glenn Gould's iconic 1955 recording changed all that, and ever since performers have delighted in brining out the endless permutations of Bach's genius masterfully woven into its intricate yet warmly pleasing musical tapestry.

This performance by the critically acclaimed Sukantala String Trio by candlelight in the beautiful Pembroke Auditorium is a chance to discover yet new colours of this mystically sublime work.

Sakuntala Trio
Sakuntala Trio is a period instrument ensemble based in London, deriving its name from the unfinished opera by Franz Schubert. The Trio was born as a result of lockdown, uniting three notable chamber musicians well established in the London scene. The brusque stop from live concert activities offered its members the rare opportunity to rehearse intimately, meeting for a couple of days almost every week and playing in a setting where meaning had time to sink in.

Rebecca Chan violin
Rebecca Chan was born in Melbourne and studied violin with Alice Waten at the Australian National Academy of Music and Sydney Conservatorium and with William Hennessy at Melbourne University, where she also completed degrees in Medicine and Arts.

Now based in London, Rebecca has been Associate Leader of the Philharmonia Orchestra since 2018 and has been invited as guest leader of many other orchestras, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English National Opera, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, Kammerphilharmonie Bremen and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. She has also been guest principal second violin with the LSO, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Bern and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

As a chamber musician, Rebecca has toured Australia, Europe and Asia and played in numerous festivals around the world and in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Royal Festival Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Musikverein, Concertgebouw, Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Recital Centre. Rebecca was a founding member of the Hamer Quartet (winners of the first prize, the audience prize and Musica Viva award in the 2009 Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition) and the Australia Piano Quartet. She was a core member and regular guest director of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. Rebecca was a core member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra from 2010-2015. She was a member of the Piatti Quartet, prizewinners at the Wigmore International String Quartet Competition from 2020-2023.

Sascha Bota viola
Born into a musical family, Sascha began his musical studies in Romania at the age of 5 first on violin iand then viola before being awarded a full scholarship to study with Gérard Caussé at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía in Madrid. He then continued his studies at the Mozarteum University of Salzburg where he was awarded a master’s degree in Solo Viola cum laudae.

Sascha began his experience as an orchestral musician in the European Youth Philharmonic Orchestra in Stade-Hamburg. In 2007, he became a member of Camerata Salzburg where he often played as principal viola. The same year he became Solo Viola of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. He has since played in chamber groups such as the principal players of the Berliner Philarmonie, the Doric Quartet and the Hagen Quartet. As a member of Mozart Quartet Salzburg he toured around Europe performing complete Mozart quartets alongside music by Mozart’s contemporaries. In 2012 Sascha became a core member of the Australian Chamber Orchestra where he played in various principal viola roles until 2017 when he relocated to London. Since then, Sascha has been playing as guest principal with a number of orchestras, including the Aurora Orchestra, Britten Sinfonia, London Mozart Players, Academy of Ancient Music, English Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia Orchestra as well as chamber music with theprincipals of LSO and St Martin-in-the-Fields orchestra.

His career has taken himall around Europe, Asia, America and Australia, playing concerts regularly in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Hall, the Musikverein, Concertgebouw, Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall and the Sydney Opera House. Festivals he has played at include Salzburger Mozartwoche, Salzburger Festspiele, Salzburg Dialoge, Klanguspuren Schwaz, Festival Aix-en-Provence, Encuentro de Música de Santander, Festival Mitte Europa, Maribor Festival, Tanglewood, and the International Viola Congress in Würzburg with Thomas Riebl. As a soloist, Sascha has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia Banatul amongst others, in venues around Europe and Australia including Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Spain, the Tonhalle Zürich, the Kunst- und Kongresshaus Luzern, the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Recital Centre.

Sascha plays on both the modern and baroque viola. His traditional instrument is a Brescian copy English viola from 1830. His baroque viola is made by Jan Pawlikowsky.

Brian O'Kane cello
Irish cellist Brian O’Kane enjoys a busy career as both soloist and chamber musician. Since winning first prize at the Windsor International String Competition in 2008, he has made his debuts with the RTE National Symphony Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra under Ashkenazy and in recital at the Wigmore Hall. Brian is a former "Rising Star" of Ireland's National Concert Hall and he recently recorded his debut CD for the Champs Hill label.

An avid chamber musician, Brian enjoys playing as a member of the Cappa Ensemble and Navarra Quartet. He has collaborated with a wide variety of artists such as Michael Collins, Aleksandar Madzar, Anthony Marwood, Pekka Kuusisto, Lawrence Power, Antoine Tamestit and Sir James Galway. Brian has also performed at concert halls and festivals throughout the world such as Sydney Opera House, Suntory Hall Tokyo, Seoul Arts Centre, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, West Cork, Radio France-Montpellier, Lockenhaus and the Weesp Chamber Music Festival, Holland of which his quartet are the artistic directors.

​A graduate of both the Royal Academy of Music and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, Brian‘s biggest influences have come from Louise Hopkins and at Prussia Cove, Aldeburgh & Chamber Studio from studies with Ralph Kirshbaum, Steven Isserlis, Ferenc Rados and Eberhard Feltz. Brian currently plays on a Rugieri cello made in Cremona c.1690.

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