ENSEMBLE UTAK
Ensemble Utak is an emerging young trio, exploring old and new repertoire for the unique combination of flute, viola and harp. Formed in Berlin during their studies, the group quickly bonded over their shared interest in similar musics. They made their debut in 2022 with a recital as part of Berlin’s ‘Groupmuse’ series, with a program that alternated between trio works and solos, a signature format they continue to embrace. This unique approach allows listeners to experience the individual sound worlds of each instrument while also appreciating the rich interplay of the trio.
u·tak /utɒk/ (pl.) noun 1 roads 2 routes 3 ways
The ensemble’s instrumentation evokes an archaic yet timeless quality—particularly with the flute and harp, among the most ancient musical instruments—yet it also inspires new possibilities in modern repertoire. This duality is reflected in their name, Utak, an ancient Hungarian word meaning "routes, roads, and ways," symbolising their commitment to charting new artistic paths.
Keen to transition into a fluid ensemble lineup, Ensemble Utak is expanding beyond trio performances. In spring 2024, they presented a program featuring viola and harp, including newly commissioned works and transcriptions of contemporary duos for this unlikely pairing.
Their skills as contemporary chamber musicians were further highlighted when they were selected to participate in the prestigious Young Ensemble Academy of Ensemble Modern in summer 2024. During this intensive program, they refined their trio repertoire, participated in workshops with world-class musicians, and culminated their experience by performing alongside Ensemble Modern.
Ensemble Utak is eager to pave new paths in their artistic approach, aiming to provide unique musical experiences.
Cara Dawson is a Berlin-based harpist specialising in contemporary music. Her work spans the interpretation of 20th- and 21st-century repertoire and the development of new works for harp, often in close collaboration with composers. She explores the instrument’s sonic and material possibilities through the use of pedal and lever harps, electronics, and alternative tuning systems, including recent projects in Just Intonation such as a commissioned work by Marc Sabat (2025).
As a soloist, she develops programmes that rethink the role of the harp in contemporary contexts, combining new commissions with experimental approaches to existing repertoire. As a semi-finalist in the World Harp Competition (2022), she presented an original programme featuring newly commissioned works alongside her own adaptation of John Cage for harp and electronics in an installation setting.
As a contemporary ensemble musician, she has performed with the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, and the London Sinfonietta, and has appeared at festivals including NonClassical and the Dutch Harp Festival. Alongside her contemporary practice, she is active as an orchestral harpist in Berlin, performing regularly with ensembles including the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Kammerakademie Potsdam.
Anna Jurriaanse is a Dutch violist. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague with Ásdís Valdimarsdóttir. From the very beginning, she was deeply involved with the Pelargos Quartet and participated in numerous masterclasses, gaining valuable musical insights.
A formative highlight of her studies was performing Stockhausen’s Helicopter String Quartet, an experience that opened up the world of contemporary music to her. She continued her studies in Tilburg with Emlyn Stam before completing her master’s degree at the Universität der Künste Berlin with Julia Brembeck-Adler, graduating in February 2026.
In Berlin, she continued her exploration of chamber music, focusing particularly on modern repertoire. During her studies, she was a member of the orchestra academies of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, and is currently part of the academy of the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin.
Anna enjoys maintaining a diverse musical life, combining orchestral playing, chamber music, contemporary work, and the classical repertoire. She is fascinated by interpreting a stroke or dot on a note written 200 years ago, but finds it equally exciting to engage directly with contemporary composers. This balance between tradition and innovation is what drives her as a musician.
MEET THE MEMBERS
Gabriele Mastrototaro is an Italian flautist whose work spans orchestral, chamber, and contemporary music contexts. He completed his Bachelor’s degree at the Conservatorio “U. Giordano” in Foggia and is currently pursuing Master’s studies at the Hochschule für Musik Stuttgart in the class of Prof. Davide Formisano. Since 2025, he has been an academist with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.
He has performed as a guest with orchestras including the SWR Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart State Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Orchestra Filarmonica di Milano, and the Peace Orchestra Project, with which he toured internationally alongside Martha Argerich. His concert appearances have taken him to venues such as the Berliner Philharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris, Shanghai Grand Theatre, and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
As a chamber musician, he collaborates with ensembles including Studio MusikFabrik, Reactive Ensemble, Ton-Art Ensemble, and Parco della Musica Ensemble. He was also an academist of the International Ensemble Modern Academy in the 2024/2025 season. As a soloist, he has performed concert repertoire by Bach, Taffanel, and Busoni and is a prizewinner of several competitions, including first prize at the Angelo Persichilli Flute Competition (2021) and second prize at the Liverpool International Flute Competition (2023).