Jacquin Trio
“Scintillating good fun! Great piece! Awesome performance!”
“...impressive skill and character.”
“...front runners taking to the chamber music stage.”
About
The Jacquin Trio is an award-winning, virtuosic British classical chamber ensemble celebrated for their imaginative programming, vibrant stage presence, and dedication to expanding music for the distinct combination of clarinet, viola/violin, and piano. They hold the unique distinction of being the only ensemble to have won both the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) Annual Music Competition and the St Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Music Competition.
Making music together for over a decade, the trio brings together three leading musicians who perform regularly as principal players and soloists across the UK classical music scene: Jessie Grimes (clarinet), Kay Stephen (violin/viola), and Charis Hanning (piano). Taking their name from the von Jacquin family—the original dedicatees of Mozart’s iconic Kegelstatt Trio—the ensemble benefits from a rare structural freedom. Because Kay Stephen plays both violin and viola at the highest level, the trio can pivot seamlessly between distinct instrumental lineups within a single concert, unlocking a vast and varied repertoire spanning from classical masterworks to fiery folk transcriptions and 20th-century standard literature.
The Jacquin Trio’s career is marked by international touring and prestigious institutional backing. They have performed across Europe and undertook a major concert tour of New Zealand, which featured the premiere of their own custom arrangement of Brahms’ Trio Op. 114. Their artistic development includes advanced residencies at elite global institutions, including the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada and IMS Prussia Cove. Recognised early on as a vital force in contemporary music, they have been supported twice by the Park Lane Group, the Tunnell Trust Award, the Solti Foundation, and the Fidelio Trust, alongside winning top prizes at the International Chamber Music Competition in Thessaloniki, Greece, and the Salzburg International Music Competition.
Projects
Ready-to-Go Curated Recital Programmes
The Jacquin Trio specialises in delivering narrative-driven recital programmes for arts festivals, music societies, and international concert series. Rather than presenting a dry chronological list of pieces, the trio weaves classical masterpieces, contemporary works, and their own custom folk arrangements into cohesive evening lengths. They currently offer three fully prepared, turnkey performance packages:
"Dance": A highly energetic, joy-filled program featuring Mozart’s classic Kegelstatt Trio, Robert Schumann’s Fantasiestücke, and Jean Françaix’s witty Trio, interspersed with contemporary jazz suite movements by Dobrinka Tabakova, American writing by Libby Larsen, and lively Irish traditional reels.
"Longing": A deeply expressive exploration of love, loss, and heritage. The program anchors around the romanticism of Johannes Brahms’ Clarinet Trio in A Minor and Robert Schumann’s Fairytale Narrations, paired alongside lyrical selections by Clara Schumann and Jessie Montgomery, alongside the trio’s own bespoke arrangements of traditional folk songs like She Moved Through the Fair.
"Wandering with Benny": A dynamic 20th-century crossover program inspired by the jazz-classical legacy of Benny Goodman. This virtuosic lineup pairs George Gershwin’s Three Preludes, Franz Schubert’s The Shepherd on the Rock, and Béla Bartók’s formidable Contrasts with an optional fully narrated performance of Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale.
Interactive Concerts, New Commissions & Staged Presentations
The trio is highly regarded for breaking down the traditional barrier between performers and the audience through a lively, relaxed onstage rapport. Leveraged by Jessie Grimes’ extensive parallel career as a professional broadcaster, presenter, and National Concert Hall Artist in Residence, the ensemble excels at delivering "words-and-music" presentations. They seamlessly integrate spoken introductions, literary text, and dramatic narration into their concerts. A major champion of living composers, the trio regularly commissions new repertoire to expand their instrument combination, having premiered award-winning works such as Charlotte Bray’s Blaze and Fall at St John’s Smith Square, alongside an ongoing set of custom miniatures written for them by Colin Matthews.
Accessible Concerts, Residencies & Community Outreach
The Jacquin Trio maintains a deep, long-standing commitment to taking world-class chamber music outside the confines of the traditional concert hall. Following a highly successful formative tenure with Live Music Now, the trio has become a premier choice for festivals and municipal organisations looking to couple mainstage performances with high-impact community outreach. They design and deliver specialist, accessible interactive concerts and creative workshops in partnership with leading healthcare and family organisations, including Arts 4 Dementia and Bach to Baby. Experienced residency artists, they have previously held a year-long curation residency at The Forge in Camden, where they directed their own multi-event chamber music festival.
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