Photos: Paddington Trio to Make PENTATONE Debut with FREAKSHOW

Paddington Trio is making its PENTATONE debut with Freakshow, an album bringing together Dmitri Shostakovich's two Piano Trios and the first album recording of 'Freakshow' by Irish composer Sam Perkin. The album's physical release date (standard CD) is January 2027, with a digital release date of 22 January 2027.

Inspired by the stories of people once labelled 'freaks' and pushed to the margins of society, Perkin's seven miniatures portray figures such as the Gentle Giant and the Armless Fiddler, looking beyond spectacle to the lives and humanity behind these labels. Shostakovich's trios offer a compelling counterpart. Written more than twenty years apart, they reflect contrasting periods in the composer's life, from the youthful intensity of the First Piano Trio to the Second, shaped by the death of his close friend Ivan Sollertinsky and the devastation of the Second World War.

With Perkin's contemporary work alongside two cornerstones of the piano trio repertoire, the album marks the beginning of Paddington Trio's recording relationship with PENTATONE.

'I was first introduced to Paddington Trio almost two years ago, and was immediately impressed by the drive, vision and musicianship of its members. Meeting the group later confirmed that initial impression. I was also taken by their desire to expand the piano trio repertoire by commissioning new work. Irish composer Sam Perkin has composed a piece of striking originality and is a name we'll hear more of in the coming years. We very much welcome the release of Freakshow, the debut recording from the Paddington Trio.' - Sean Hickey, Managing Director, PENTATONE

'Freakshow tells seven stories of people who found themselves on the margins of society. In seven vivid miniatures, Sam brings to life figures such as the Gentle Giant and the Armless Fiddler, tracing journeys through captivity, resilience and spectacle. Yet beneath these extraordinary stories are human beings: people whose difference became a source of fascination, exploitation, and sometimes wonder. Through music, they are no longer simply curiosities to be looked at, but individuals whose courage and humanity invite us to look again.

We felt that the Shostakovich Trios were the natural companions to Sam Perkin's work. Written in the shadow of profound personal loss and historical upheaval, they too speak with an extraordinary intensity about vulnerability, suffering, friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. Together, these works create a dialogue across time between different kinds of outsiders, and between composers responding to a world that can be both cruel and profoundly human.

These works bring together past and present, tradition and innovation, spectacle and humanity. More than anything, Freakshow is an invitation to look beyond the labels we give one another, and to remember the extraordinary human lives behind them.' - Paddington Trio

Tracklist

Sam Perkin (b. 1985) - Piano Trio No. 1 'Freakshow' (2016)

I. The Rat Circus

II. The Two-Headed Nightingale

III. The Living Skeleton

IV. The Gentle Giant

V. The Angel of Death

VI. Pandora's Basket

VII. The Armless Fiddler

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) - Piano Trio No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 8 'Poème' (1923)

Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67 (1944)

Paddington Trio

Tuulia Hero, violin

Patrick Moriarty, cello

Stephanie Tang, piano

Composer Sam Perkin

Based between France and Ireland, Sam Perkin composes music for leading musicians and ensembles in Ireland and abroad. His music has been performed in 20 countries. In the space between classical and experimental music, his artistic work has a particular focus on the exploration of wonder and awe. His work was last featured on PENTATONE's 25th anniversary EP, SPACES.

'As a composer, it is a true joy finding musicians who understand one's music and who perform it well. It is a bonus discovering musicians who really enjoy performing one's music and who embrace it fully. It is a rare gift, however, when the composer crosses paths with performers who love playing one's music so much that they totally embody it physically. When this happens, not only hearing but seeing the performers on stage with every cell of their bodies moving and resonating with your music is what it is really all about for a composer.

This is the case with the Paddington Trio. They now know 'Freakshow' so well that when they perform it one perceives that they have somehow become one with the work itself.

This is the best type of artistry, the one required in order to truly express the artistic vision behind this work with its emotionally wide-ranging celebration of the 'Stars of The Sideshow'.'

Formed in London during the pandemic, Paddington Trio brings together a shared interest in vivid musical storytelling and repertoire that challenges familiar perspectives. In Freakshow, the ensemble places music from different eras in conversation, inviting listeners to look beyond the labels history has attached to extraordinary lives.

This album marks the beginning of Paddington Trio's recording relationship with PENTATONE.

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