The award winning Trio Archai, founded in Switzerland, is emerging as one of the most promising young ensembles of its generation. Pianist Mar Valor, violinist Ayla Sahin, and cellist Finn Mannion met during their studies at the Musik-Akademie Basel, where they quickly discovered a rare artistic connection that has shaped their shared musical journey ever since.

First Prize winners at the 72nd Royal Overseas League Competition in 2024, the trio made its debut at Wigmore Hall in June of the same year. Since then, they have appeared at festivals and venues including St. George’s Bristol, Schaffhausen Klassik, Swiss Chamber Music Festival and Whittington Music Festival amongst others. Selected as Britten Pears Young Artists for the 2025/2026 season they look forward to a residency at Snape Maltings. They are also laureates of the Orpheus Swiss Chamber Music Competition, recipients of the Philip and Dorothy Green Young Artist Award (PDGYA) from MakingMusic, and are winners of the Tunnell Trust Concert Scheme 2025/26 which will include a Scotland tour in Autumn 2025 and a residency at Music Coll. These accolades reflect the trio’s rapidly growing international recognition.

The trio’s repertoire is wide ranging and marked by a strong commitment to contemporary music. Over the past year, they premiered two commissioned works: ‘Triangulum’ by Dominic Röthlisberger at Swiss Chamber Music Festival 2024, in partnership with Pro Helvetia and Fondation SUISA, and ‘Nocturnes’ by Jeremy Sams at Whittington Music Festival in May 2025. Their programming frequently includes works by composers such as Helen Grime and Francisco Coll, reflecting a dedication to innovation and to exploring repertoire that extends beyond the canon.

Since 2023, Trio Archai has been studying with Claudio Martínez Mehner at the Musik-Akademie Basel and has received invaluable artistic input from renowned musicians such as Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Alexander Lonquich, Alina Ibragimova, Dénes Várjon, Robert Levin, Jonathan Brown, Zoltán Fejérvári, Danjulo Ishizaka, and Rainer Schmidt. They are members of ECMA (European Chamber Music Academy) and ChamberStudio London, where they are mentored by cellist John Myerscough. In April 2025, they were selected to join Thomas Adès’s class at IMS Prussia Cove.

The name Archai (pronounced “Ark-ai”) comes from the Ancient Greek and means “origins” or “first principles”. It reflects the ensemble’s shared roots, artistic values, and its aspiration to grow together. With backgrounds spanning Scotland, Turkey, Spain, Ireland, and Germany, Trio Archai is a vibrant cultural mosaic. This diversity informs their musical voice, broadens their artistic perspective, and allows them to offer audiences fresh and surprising interpretations beyond the traditional repertoire.