Trio Incendio Named as Winners of Hans Gál Prize

The Czech ensemble will receive a cash prize of €10,000

Jointly awarded by the Academy of Sciences and Literature Mainz and the Villa Musica Rheinland-Pfalz, the 2023 Hans Gál Prize. carries a value of €10,000.

Formed in Prague in 2016, Trio Incendio is comprised of pianist Karolína Františová, violinist Filip Zaykov, and cellist Vilém Petras. The trio has been a laureate at the Gianni Bergamo Classic Music Award in Lugano, Coop Music Awards in Cremona, Concorso Musicale “Marcello Pontillo” in Firenze, Kiejstut Bacewicz Competition in Lodz, Concorso “Massimiliano Antonelli” in Latina, and at the Bohuslav Martinů Competition in Prague.

The Gál Prize is named after the composer, musicologist, and teacher Hans Gál (1890-1987), the former director of the Mainz Conservatory, which later became the Hochschule für Musik and the Peter Cornelius Conservatory.

At the 2023 edition, the jury was comprised of Academy members Claudia Eder and Julius Berger, as well as the artistic director of Villa Musica, Alexander Hülshoff.

"Trio Incendio from the Czech Republic, which has already been successful on the international stage, is characterized by stylistic clarity, esprit and the highest level of sensitivity," wrote the jury in their comments. "The pianist's wealth of colors is wonderfully combined with the sound of the strings."

"The trio's interpretations bear witness to the composer's utmost responsibility towards the text and spirit in connection with a fascinating artistic interpretation and the rare ability to detect something hidden 'between the lines'. This is how performances of the highest density and atmosphere succeed."