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New Album

Epochs & Cultures
in Dialogue

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Epochs & Cultures in Dialogue

On their debut album, Trio Contrasti invites listeners on a musical journey where epochs and cultures enter into a vibrant dialogue. The Romantic era introduced a new understanding of art, with music taking on a leading role. Artistic freedom and the search for national identity shaped the evolution of musical styles. This cultural dialogue continued well into the 20th century. In this context, three seemingly unrelated works are brought together and, through the lens of the Romantic paradigm, appear as milestones on a journey through different eras and cultures.

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About the Trio

Trio Contrasti unites cultural traditions, musical mentalities, and contrasting temperaments into a distinctive and expressive style. The three musicians bring the richness of their diverse backgrounds to life not only through sound but also through emotional depth and interpretative insight.

Founded in spring 2021, the trio quickly gained attention by reaching the finals of the hmt Music Prize in Rostock that same year. Since April 2022, Trio Contrasti has been pursuing a Master’s degree in Chamber Music at the Hamburg University of Music and Theatre under the artistic guidance of Prof. Niklas Schmidt.

As part of their studies, the ensemble has participated in various competitions and chamber music festivals, including the International Ysaye Competition (2022), the Anton Rubinstein Competition (2022), and the chamber music festivals Mutationen (2022) and Als die Stunden still standen (2023) at hmt Rostock. International perspectives were further enriched through workshops with the NGO DoReMeet in Yerevan (Armenia), which supports emerging artists.

On January 17, 2025, the trio released its debut CD Dialogues Between Eras and Cultures with the label OEHMS Classics. The recording was met with critical acclaim and resonated strongly with audiences.

With carefully curated repertoire and thoughtfully designed concert programs, Trio Contrasti builds musical bridges across time, cultures, and communities – with passion, depth, and a spirit of connection.

Xuezhao Ma

Piano

Xuezhao Ma was born in China in 1997 and began playing the piano at the age of six. She initially studied at the Middle School of the Xi’an Conservatory of Music and later at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Driven by a curiosity for European piano literature and culture, she moved to Hamburg in 2015 to attend the International College of Music. That same year, she was admitted to the University of Music and Theatre Rostock.

Xuezhao Ma completed her bachelor’s degree in January 2021 and continued her studies in the master’s program at the University of Music and Theatre Rostock in the class of Prof. Matthias Kirschnereit, graduating in February 2021.

She has a deep passion for performing works from the Classical and Romantic repertoire and beyond. On August 11, 2021, she was delighted to perform at “Piano & Wine” at Jacques’ Wine Depot in Rostock. Audiences appreciate her high level of professionalism, expressive range, and artistic versatility.

Xuezhao Ma is a prizewinner of national and international competitions. In 2015, she won second prize at the “Giovani Musicisti – Città di Treviso” competition. In the following years, she received the Special Prize twice at the International College of Music Awards in Hamburg. In 2019, she won first prize in age category H at the North Germany Music Open Competition.

In addition to her solo career, Xuezhao Ma is a passionate chamber musician. Since 2017, she has regularly performed with saxophonist Karina Chalenko in concerts such as “Live Music Now,” “Kultur trifft Genuss,” and at the Landow Music Festival. She also performs with flutist Zofia Neugebauer at the Gezeiten Concerts. In 2019, she appeared with Karina Chalenko on the “Podium der Jungen” concert series by NDR Kultur in Hamburg.

From 2021 until early 2024, Xuezhao Ma was part of Trio Contrasti alongside violinist Nora Shekyan and cellist Alla Kurdyumova. The trio studied at the University of Music and Theatre Hamburg with Prof. Schmidt, where Ma continues her artistic work today.

Nora Shekyan

Violin

Nora Shekyan is a German-Armenian violinist who grew up in a family of musicians. She began studying the violin at the age of six at the P. I. Tchaikovsky Specialized Music School in Yerevan, Armenia, under the guidance of Prof. Armen Harutyunyan. She later continued her studies at the University of Music and Theatre Rostock in the class of Prof. Christiane Hutcap and refined her artistry in masterclasses with Igor Ozim, Maria Egelhof, Radboud Oomens, Mauricio Fuks, Ana Chumachenko, Mihaela Martin, Gerhard Schulz, and Pavel Vernikov.


Shekyan has received numerous awards and scholarships. She was awarded Third Prize at the Concours FLAME in Paris, the DAAD Prize for academic excellence and social engagement, and the Deutschlandstipendium. She has also been a scholar of Live Music Now, the foundation established by Yehudi Menuhin.

A passionate chamber musician, Shekyan founded the piano trio Trio Contrasti in 2021. The ensemble quickly gained recognition, becoming a finalist in both the hmt Music Prize and the Ysaye International Music Competition. In 2025, the trio released its debut album Dialogues Between Eras and Cultures on NAXOS/Oehms Classics. Other highlights include performances at the Mutationen Chamber Music Festival and the Als die Stunden stillstanden Chamber Music Festival in Rostock, as well as the DoReMeet International Summer Festival in Yerevan. Shekyan was also a member of the duo Kraniche and the trio Un Poco Armenico, touring as part of the Cranes Return project. Her performances have been featured on NDR Kultur’s Young Artists from the North.


In addition to performing, Shekyan is active as a music educator. She has worked closely with the State Conservatory of Yerevan and various music schools in Armenia and Germany. She leads workshops on stage presence, digital presentation, concert programming, and stage moderation. Her teaching activities include violin instruction at the Hamburg Mozarteum Music School and leading a children’s orchestra at the Carl Orff Music School in Hamburg, preparing students for Jugend musiziert and entrance exams.


Shekyan is also engaged in social and cultural initiatives. In 2019, she founded DoReMeet, an organization in Armenia supporting musicians with disabilities and offering concert and workshop opportunities for young Armenian artists. As Vice President of the German-Armenian Student Club HAIK e.V., she organizes benefit concerts and supports Armenian students and scholars in Germany through fundraising and cultural exchange.


Shekyan also has broad orchestral experience. She is currently employed as a violinist at Theater Vorpommern and regularly performs as a substitute with Theater Lübeck, the Chamber Philharmonic Cologne, and the Mannheim Philharmonic. She has also performed with renowned ensembles such as La Monnaie/De Munt (Brussels) and Staatskapelle Halle, and participated in prestigious festivals and academies including the Moritzburg Festival Academy and the Young North German Philharmonic Academy.


Nora Shekyan continues to expand her artistic and pedagogical work with deep commitment to chamber music, orchestral performance, music education, and intercultural engagement.

Alla Kurdiumova

Violoncello

Alla Kurdiumova is a Russian cellist, born in Tajikistan. She graduated from the State Alfred Schnittke Institute of Music in Moscow (Bachelor’s degree) and the Rostock University of Music and Theatre (Master’s degree). Currently, she is pursuing a concert exam program at hmt Rostock in the class of Professor Natalie Clein, refining her approach to merging the foundations of the Russian cello school with the finest European performance traditions.

She is a prizewinner of prestigious international competitions, including the International Knushevitsky Competition, the International Kabalevsky Competition, and the Moscow Chamber Music Competition. She has participated in masterclasses with distinguished musicians such as Denis Severin (Switzerland), Brenno Ambrosini (Italy), Karolina Michalska (Poland), Igor Bobovich (Russia), and Maximilian Hornung (Germany). In 2017, she took part in an exclusive masterclass at the Diaghilev Festival under the direction of renowned conductor Teodor Currentzis.

Her performances have captivated audiences in Russia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Mexico, and beyond. In addition to her solo career, Alla Kurdiumova is a member of the piano trio CONTRASTI. Their highly anticipated album, recorded under the NAXOS label, is set to be released in 2025, showcasing the ensemble’s unique artistic vision and profound musical interpretation.
A significant part of Alla Kurdiumova’s work is dedicated to practical pedagogy, teaching students at all levels—from beginners to graduates of music universities in Russia and Europe.

Her artistic interests also include exploring the development of a musician’s personality, drawing on related disciplines such as psychology, acting techniques, yoga, meditation, and more. This research is the foundation of her authorial course and online seminars, “Stage Anxiety: The Stanislavski System in Practical Application for Performers.”