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.
LISTEN
WATCH
SAMPLE PROGRAMMES
Wheel of Cloud
Torū Takemitsu - And Then I Knew 'Twas Wind
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Salvatore Sciarrino - Canzona di Ringraziamento (flute solo)
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Kaja Saariaho - New Gates
-pause-
György Kurtág - Signs, Games and Messages
(viola solo)
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Toshi Ichiyanagi - Still Time III
(harp solo)
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Claude Debussy - Sonate En Trio
TRIO|SOLO
C.P.E. Bach - Sonata in Am (flute solo)
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György Kurtág - Signs, Games and Messages
(viola solo)
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Sofia Gubaidlina - Garten Von Freuden und Traurigkeiten
-pause-
Benjamin Britten - Suite
(harp solo)
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Claude Debussy - Sonate En Trio
MEET THE MEMBERS
Gabriele Mastrototaro was born on March 1, 2003, in Bari. In October 2022, he completed his Bachelor’s degree with top marks at the Conservatorio “U. Giordano” in Foggia, and he is currently pursuing his Master’s studies at the MusikHochschule Stuttgart in the Prof. Davide Formisano's flute class.
Since October 2025, Gabriele is academist at the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra.
In Germany and Italy, he has performed as an guest with various orchestras, including the SWR Symphony Orchestra, the Stuttgart State Opera, the Frankfurt Opera, the Orchestra Filarmonica di Milano, and the Peace Orchestra Project, with which he took part in a European tour alongside Martha Argerich. His performances have taken him to prestigious concert halls such as the Philharmonie de Paris, the Berliner Philharmonie, the Beethoven-Saal in Stuttgart, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, and the Shanghai Grand Theater.
As a chamber musician, he has performed with ensembles such as Studio MusikFabrik (Cologne), Reactive Ensemble and Ton-Art Ensemble (Stuttgart), Oh Ton Ensemble (Oldenburg), Parco della Musica Ensemble (Rome), and Six Memos Ensemble (Bari).
During the 2024/2025 season, he was also an academist of the International Ensemble Modern Academy in Frankfurt.
As a soloist, he has performed works by J. S. Bach, P. Taffanel, and F. Busoni with orchestras including Cappella Tübingen, Orchestra Filarmonica Pugliese, and Orchestra Sinfonica Umberto Giordano. In December 2021, he won the “Angelo Persichilli” Flute Competition in Rome, and in February 2023, he was awarded second prize at the Liverpool International Flute Competition.
Cara Dawson is an award-winning harpist from England, with a reputation spanning various musical scenes. She is a graduate of multiple renowned UK institutions, and is currently persuing her Masters studies with a specialisation in contemporary music at UDK Berlin. Cara has built a career performing in many of UK and Germanys major concert halls, such as Royal Festival Hall and Berlin Philharmonie, under the baton of many acclaimed conductors including François-Xavier Roth, Ilan Volkov and Susanna Mälkki, and with orchestras including Deutsches Sinfonie Orchester and Kammerakademie Potsdam. She has also held harp academy positions in both the London Sinfonietta and Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra. In 2022, she was semi-finalist of the World Harp Competition, in which she presented a program of self-arranged and newly commissioned works for harp and electronics. In the same year, she received second place at NonClassical's compeition for new music ensembles with 'red panel'. a Berlin-based collective Cara co-founded in 2019 whose musical language explores classical and ambient / drone.
Anna Jurriaanse is a violist from The Netherlands. She studied her bachelor’s at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague and is currently doing a masters at the Universität der Künste Berlin. Since a young age Anna has been very interested and enthusiastic about chamber music and is a founding member of the Pelargos Quartet, with whom she performed Stockhausen’s Helikopter Streich-Quartett during Holland Festival 2019. This event sparked Anna’s interest in contemporary music and since then she has been working together closely with composers of today. Additionally, she has been playing with various professional orchestras and ensembles in The Netherlands, such as the Radio Philharmonic and Ludwig Ensemble. In season 2023-2024 she was an academist at the Dutch Philharmonic Orchestra in Amsterdam. In 2024 she was appointed as a viola academist of the Lucerne Festival Contemporary Orchestra. In the future, Anna would like to continue the balance between orchestral playing, as well as creating performances with smaller ensembles, not only in the conventional way but with an open mind towards new performance practices.