The Quartz Piano Trio, formerly the Cook Strait Trio comprises two New Zealanders, Blythe Press (violin) and Amber Rainey (piano) and new Spanish cellist Alejandra Díaz. Amber and Blythe have been performing concerts and competing together for a number of years and have recently concluded a national tour of New Zealand as part of a two year contract with Chamber Music New Zealand. While in New Zealand both Amber and Blythe were contracted to play on numerous occasions as part of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and in the National Youth Orchestra they both in separate years received the Alex Lindsay Award for the Most Outstanding Orchestral Player. Amber was principle keyboard and Blythe, concert master. While Blythe is concluding his master’s degree in Graz, Austria, Alejandra and Amber both attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. Both are a part of the Wigmore Hall Chamber Music Tots Series.
Since Alejandra Díaz is the new cellist of the Quartz Piano Trio they enjoy regularly lessons with Oleg Kogan. Shortly they will be having coaching with Alasdair Tait, Pierre Doumenge, Caroline Presland and David Waterman.
