Txistu, accordion, percussion
With an activity that combines tradition and modernity, the Trio Zukan is one of the most original and acclaimed ensembles to emerge in Spain in recent years. Comprising txistu, accordion and percussion, the trio has turned its unusual instrumental combination into a strength, offering programmes that invite the audience to discover the surprising possibilities of these instruments, both acoustically and in conjunction with electronics, audiovisual media and innovative performances.
Among the cycles and festivals in which the Zukan Trio has performed, the following stand out: the National Centre for the Promotion of Music (CNDM) at the Vostell Malpartida Museum in Cáceres and La Cárcel in Segovia, the Juan March Foundation and CentroCentro in Madrid, the San Sebastián Music Fortnight, the BBVA Foundation in Bilbao, ENSEMS in Valencia, Classical:NEXT in Rotterdam (Netherlands), the International Pharos Contemporary Music Festival (Cyprus) and Le Vivier in Montreal (Canada).
Since its inception in 2014, composers such as José María Sánchez-Verdú, María Eugenia Luc, Hugo Morales, Helga Arias, Zuriñe F. Gerenabarrena, Mikel Chamizo, Isabel Urrutia, Francisco Domínguez and Carolina Cerezo, among many others, have written works for them. They also work with some composers on large-scale artistic explorations. This category includes proposals such as ESZKU, a multidisciplinary creation by Juanjo Eslava designed for the Oteiza Museum in Alzuza (Navarra); and Fertilidad, estratificación y muerte permanente (Fertility, Stratification and Permanent Death), a site-specific project by Hara Alonso for the Herrera de Sabero mining pit (León).
The trio has recorded two CDs entitled Soinuzko begiradak — Take I and Take II, which include a selection of works written for them in recent years. They are also actively involved in educational activities as part of their ‘Work in progress’ project, which includes the recording of video clips, interviews with composers, workshops, etc.
Through all these lines of activity, Zukan pursues a fundamental objective: to seek new ways of making music and bring the creation of our time closer to the public through alternative formats and fresh, varied and original proposals.
Zumaia, 1994. He began studying the accordion with Professor Miren Iñarga, and later graduated from the Higher Music Centre of the Basque Country (Musikene), specialising in performance, under the guidance of Iñaki Alberdi. She completed a master's degree specialising in contemporary music at the Musikhochschule FHNW in Basel, and later also specialised in cultural management at the International University of La Rioja. Today she combines her work as a performer with that of cultural manager. She has been awarded first prize in several national and international accordion performance competitions (2nd Prize in the Klingenthal International Accordion Competition, 1st Prize in the Concorso Internazionale di Fisarmonica Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy, and 1st Prize in the Arrasate Hiria International Competition in the Basque Country, among the most notable). In addition to her profile as a soloist, her professional musical career is notable for her collaboration with various groups and artists, both in the field of music and other disciplines, in projects of very diverse types and styles. She is very committed to contemporary music, having premiered works by renowned composers in both chamber music and solo performances.
Miranda de Ebro, 1992. Gorka Catediano is a percussionist specialising in contemporary chamber music, based in the Basque Country. He trained at the Jesús Guridi Conservatory in Vitoria-Gasteiz and at the Higher Music Centre of the Basque Country – MUSIKENE with Javier Alonso, Lorenzo Ferrándiz, José A. Trigueros and Antonio Domingo. In 2018, he completed a Master's programme at the Koninklijk Conservatorium in The Hague (Netherlands) under the tutelage of renowned performers such as Hans Zonderop, Theun van Nieuwburg, Niels Meliefste, Pepe García and Rob Verhagen, obtaining the highest marks. He has collaborated with ensembles such as Residentie Orkest, Slagwerk Den Haag, Euskadiko Orkestra, Atlas Ensemble, Bilbao Sinfonietta, Ensemble Kuraria, and Sinkro Ensemble, among others. He is currently a member of the San Sebastián Municipal Band, as well as collaborating with various associations in the Basque Country to promote contemporary music.
Hernani, 1992. He studied txistu performance in San Sebastián. His training included classes with great performers such as Aitor Amilibia, Jose Ignazio Ansorena, Iñaki Alberdi, Sèverine Ballon, Alfonso Gómez and Miquel Bernat. He is currently a member of the San Sebastián Municipal Txistulari Band. He combines this work with research into the txistu and the most avant-garde repertoire. He also collaborates with various associations and institutions committed to contemporary music in the Basque Country. Pharos Art Foundation Festival, Quincena Musical de San Sebastián, Classical:Next and Gargonza-Arts, among others, are some of the festivals in which he has participated.
