The Archai Trio, founded in Basel in 2023, is composed of Mar Valor, piano; Ayla Sahin, violin; and Finn Mannion, cello. Its name, Archai (pronounced “Ark-eye”), comes from Ancient Greek and means “origins” or “first principles,” reflecting the musical values shared by its members and their commitment to growing together as an ensemble.
In just a few years, the trio has earned significant international recognition, including First Prize and the Beethoven Prize at the 2025 Schoenfeld International String Competition in China, and First Prize at the 72nd Royal Over-Seas League Competition 2024 in London. In 2026, they also received the Filippo Nicosia Award in Italy. The trio is also a laureate of the Orpheus Swiss Chamber Music Competition and was awarded the Basler Förderpreis from the Stiftung BOG / Basler Orchester Gesellschaft in 2026.
Their performances have taken them across Europe, the United Kingdom, and Asia, appearing at venues and festivals such as Wigmore Hall, TivoliVredenburg, Stadtcasino Basel, St George’s Bristol, Palau de la Música de Valencia, Schaffhausen Klassik, Harbin Grand Theatre, Swiss Chamber Music Festival, and the Whittington Festival. The trio was a Young Artist in Residence at Britten-Pears Arts during the 2025/26 season, performing at Snape Maltings, and was selected for the Tunnell Trust Concert Scheme 2025/26.
Their repertoire combines great works for piano trio with a special interest in contemporary creation. During the 2024/25 season, they premiered two new works written for the ensemble: Triangulum by Dominic Röthlisberger and Nocturnes by Jeremy Sams.
The three musicians met at the Musik-Akademie Basel, where they study as a trio with Claudio Martínez Mehner, Rainer Schmidt, Anna Gebert, and Anton Kernjak. Since 2026, they have continued their training at the International Institute of Chamber Music of the Reina Sofía School of Music, with Vera Martínez Mehner and Heime Müller. They have also received guidance from artists such as Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Alexander Lonquich, Alina Ibragimova, Dénes Várjon, Robert Levin, Zoltán Fejérvári, and Danjulo Ishizaka. They are members of the European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA), fellows of ChamberStudio London, scholarship holders of Jeunesses Musicales Deutschland, and were selected to work with Thomas Adès at IMS Prussia Cove 2025.
