Always on
This project successfully funded on 13th July 2026, you can still support them with a donation.
Beethoven Bicentenary: Final Disc of Trio Cycle
Twickenham, Greater London, United Kingdom
Aim
Recording the final disc of our Beethoven Trios cycle - perhaps the first complete cycle on fortepiano - culminating with the "Archduke"
Recording Beethoven Piano Trios
Rautio Piano Trio
- Jane Gordon, violin
- Victoria Simonsen, cello
- Jan Rautio, fortepiano
In 2021, the Rautio Piano Trio commenced a monumental recording project: the complete cycle of Beethoven piano trios in four albums, with the ambition to recreate the sound world of the period by recording on historical instruments fortepiano.
The Beethoven trios have been widely recorded before but there are very few on historical instruments. We think this might one of the first complete cycles of Beethoven Trios recorded with fortepiano.
To date, Volume 1, 2 and 3 have been successfully released to glowing reviews on the Resonus Classics label. The final Volume 4, our final album of the cycle, is due for release in March 2027. This coincides with the bicentenary of Ludwig van Beethoven’s death which will be commemorated worldwide.
Celebrated by Critics
Some of our reviews so far:
You could hardly do better than the ever-imaginative Rautio. Editor's Choice, Gramophone Magazine (October 2026)
These players make the most of Beethoven’s playfulness, notably in the E flat major work’s finale, where the fortepiano provokes some mischievous squeaks from the violin. BBC Music Magazine (5 stars)
The Rautio Piano Trio earned the highest praise from me for the first of what we can now safely assume will eventually be an extremely welcome complete set of the Beethoven Piano Trios. In sum, bravi tutti! – again. I await the ‘Archduke’ with impatience. (Vol 2). Early Music Review
‘It (the fortepiano) sounds just right: crisp, purposeful, with a percussive kick in the bass.’ Jane and Victoria ’tease out their melodies with unforced slow-burn eloquence, warmed by little touches of vibrato’. Gramophone Magazine
To hear and read more about the Rautio Piano Trio, please visit our website: www.rautiopianotrio.co.uk or our YouTube channel.
Beethoven Cycle Fundraising
The final campaign....
Following the success of our initial GoFundMe campaign for the first discs, we are now raising funds for the fourth and final album of our Beethoven Piano Trios cycle. We remain deeply grateful to all who have supported us thus far.
Support the Final Chapter
Our costs and how to support us
Today, music-making depends increasingly on private support, as the recording industry offers limited backing and arts funding remains scarce. While streaming has made our work accessible to audiences around the world, it has also significantly reduced artists’ ability to generate income.
Producing a recording is a costly and complex process, encompassing producer and engineering fees, venue hire, and fortepiano provision, among many other essential elements.
We would like to offer a variety of rewards
We warmly invite donations towards the Rautio Piano Trio’s Beethoven Cycle. As our final recording approaches, the generosity of friends and supporters is more important than ever.
Our fundraising target is £6000, which will cover the remaining recording costs for Volume 4. Donations of any size are greatly appreciated, and our RPT Supporters will be invited to a special celebration concert when the cycle is complete.
RPT "FAN CLUB"
Donations of any amount = Our eternal gratitude!
RPT "VIP SUPPORTER"
Donation of £50 or more = as above PLUS your name printed in the CD booklet of the final album (unless anonymity is preferred).
RPT "BRONZE SUPPORTER"
Donation of £150 or more = as above PLUS signed CDs of volumes 3 and 4 (posted to you after the release date of each album) AND an invitation to our RPT Friends Launch Party.
RPT "SILVER SUPPORTER"
Donation of £500 or more = the above rewards PLUS an invitation to attend a Trio workshop or open rehearsal (London only) and enjoy a drink with us. This year we will be working on new arrangements of music by Marianne Martines & Jan’s composition ‘Akhmatova’s Requiem’ which will be premiered in the autumn. Enjoy the first glimpse of these new projects.
RPT "GOLD SUPPORTER"
Donation of £1000 or more = the above rewards PLUS the chance to attend an editing session with the trio and watch the magic happen!
RPT "PLATINUM SUPPORTER”
Donation of £2000+ = all the above rewards PLUS the trio will perform a private house concert** for you and your invited guests.
(** N.B. Houses/venues outside of the London commuter area may incur extra travel costs. The house/venue will need to have a piano in situ; alternatively piano or fortepiano hire can be arranged at an additional cost to the host. Please contact us to discuss if you are unsure.)
Thank you for reading this far ....
and please do get in touch with us if you would like more information or to speak to a member of the trio.
Warmest wishes,
Jane, Victoria & Jan
Rautio Piano Trio
About the Trio
Since the release of their acclaimed debut album of Mozart Trios in 2016, the Rautio Trio has become one of today’s leading chamber ensembles, widely praised for performances of exceptional clarity, depth and historical insight. With a particular focus currently on 18th and 19th century repertoire, the Trio performs on both modern and period instruments, bringing fresh perspective to core works of the piano trio literature.
The Trio has released four albums on Resonus Classics to critical acclaim. Their work is regularly broadcast on BBC Radio 3, and they have appeared at major venues including Wigmore Hall, Kings Place, and Bridgewater Hall, alongside performances across Europe in France, Austria, and Germany.
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made