The Serafino String Trio was founded in 2010 by three like-minded musicians who share the passion for the string trio and the repertoire that’s written for it.
They appeared on many chamber music venues in Holland and beyond; their performances have been received with great enthusiasm.
A few quotes from the Dutch press:
“Top musicians.. Homogeneity in sound and full of conviction..”
“From the first notes the Serafino String Trio put their mark on the performance..”
“They skillfully worked through the score in a compelling and expressive way..”
“Love for the music, playing from the soul, warm, colorful, controlled, honest, not imposing but enchanting… Blissful.”
Natalia Gabunia (violin), Naomi Peters (viola) and Timora Rosler (cello).
Natalia Gabunia, violin
Natalia was born in Tbilisi, Georgia. Her father, Nodar Gabunia, a much-loved student of Khachaturian and Goldenweiser, was a brilliant pianist, composer and pedagogue.
Guided by her exceptionally inspiring and dedicated teacher Konstantin Vardeli, she made her first steps as a violinist from an early age. By the time she was 12, she was performing with all major orchestras in Georgia, playing Mendelssohn, Lalo, Mozart and Brahms violin concertos. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, she seized the moment and headed to Europe, first to Germany and later to Amsterdam.
Natalia shared the stage with great musicians such as Nelson Goerner, Vadim Repin, Maurice Bourgue, Nino Gvetadze and her husband, Wouter Vossen. She performed as a soloist with orchestras in Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, Georgia and Poland, recorded numerous CDs and made many television and radio appearances. She also enjoyed exploring the depth of the symphonic repertoire as a member of the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and freelancing with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.
She is profoundly grateful to the Elise Mathilde Foundation for entrusting her to play their beautiful Zosimo Bergonzi violin (1760).
Over the years, she has developed her own violin teaching method, based on a combination of the Russian school and European traditions. Close contact with the legendary pedagogue Zakhar Bron and many European colleagues has helped her along this road. At present, she has a class full of talented and promising young violinists.
Naomi Peters, viola
Naomi Peters studied with Lex Korff de Gidts in Utrecht, where she graduated with the highest distinction for her Bachelor’s exam. She continued her studies in Amsterdam with Istvan Parkanyi. Charles-Andre Linale and Herman Krebbers were other important and inspiring teachers, and for chamber music her mentors were Milan Skampa, György Ligeti and the Altenberg Trio Wien.
From 2008 till 2012 she took on a position as leader of the second violins of Holland Symfonia.
In 2014, she was appointed principal viola in the Dutch National Ballet Orchestra based in Amsterdam National Opera and Ballet. She now combines the job with traveling around the world with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, where she has been a regular member since 2001.
In addition to her work in orchestras, she has a great passion for chamber music. As part of the Delos Ensemble – which won the competition Vriendenkrans van het Concertgebouw Amsterdam – Naomi has performed concerts in the Netherlands and travelled on special tours to the Middle East and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
From 2004 till 2016, she has been primarius of the Jenufa Quartet, which regularly performs classical and romantic repertoire and collaborates directly with the composers to perform contemporary Dutch compositions.
Naomi lives in Amsterdam with her husband and two children.
Timora Rosler, cello
The Israeli/Dutch cellist Timora Rosler took first prize at the 1996 Stuttgart International Cello Competition. In 1997 she won the Vriendenkrans of the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. A year later she won a special prize for her interpretation at the XI International Bach Competition in Leipzig. She also won the top prize at the Caltanisetta International Duo Chamber Music Competition in 1996 in Italy with her duo-partner Klára Würtz.
Since 1985 Timora was awarded the America-Israel Cultural Foundation Scholarship and later became a member of the Distinguished Young Artists Chamber Music Group at the Jerusalem Music Centre. She has attended masterclasses with artists such as János Starker, Heinrich Schiff, Boris Pergamenschikov, Anner Bylsma, Daniel Shafran and Lynn Harell.
Timora holds a performance degrees from the Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam, where she studied with Dmitri Ferschtman and from Yale University, where she was a pupil of Aldo Parisot.
She participated in numerous music festivals including Ravinia, Aspen, Banff Center for the Arts, Cello Biënnale Amsterdam, Manchester Cello Festival, International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove (England), Francigena International Art Festival, Cello Festival Zutphen, Pro Festival in Rolandseck (Germany), Maurice Ravel Summer Academy in France and the Gaia Chamber Music Festival in Thun.
Timora has appeared in concerts in Europe, the US, Canada, Argentina and Israel. As a soloist, she has performed with various orchestras such as the Flemish Radio under Martyn Brabbins, Philharmonia of the Nations under Justus Frantz, Janácek Philharmonic, Grazioso Chamber Orchestra of the Hungarian National Philharmonic, Slovak Sinfonietta, Donetsk Philharmnic, National Symphony of Ukraine, Haifa Symphony Orchestra, Israel Sinfonietta Beer-Sheva, Camerata Antonio Lucio and the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra.
With the Orquesta de Cámara Mayo of Buenos Aires, she toured extensively throughout The Netherlands (including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw) and Argentina with the works of Piazzolla. Both a television and a CD recording were made of this collaboration. She has also made recordings for Israeli, Hungarian, German, Dutch and American Radio.
Timora has recorded numerous CD’s which have been reviewed with praise. Her most recent includes the complete works by Beethoven for cello and piano with pianist Klára Würtz.
She is a professor of cello at the Utrecht Conservatory of Music, and has given masterclasses at venues and events such as the International Conservatoire Week in St Petersburg in Russia, Forum Muzikae in Madrid, Francigena Internationaal Festival, International Cello Congress & Festival in Israel, Utrecht String Academy in St Vallerin in France, Davos Winter Academy in Switzerland and Instituto Bellini in Italy.
In 2013 she was a jury member at the Aram Khachaturian International Cello Competition in Armenia.
Timora plays on a Thomas Dodd cello from 1800.