catinblack ensemble is an international low string trio consisting of viola, cello and double bass – dedicated to the diverse spectrum of sound worlds of contemporary music. Based in Essen, Germany, and comprising musicians from diverse global backgrounds, the ensemble has rapidly developed a unified language and a shared commitment to the music of our time.
Their technical rigour and dedication to innovation also leads them to mentoring work and ensemble residencies. In 2025 catinblack was ensemble in residence at Harvard University in Boston. This year was a fruitful year for the ensemble, premiering over ten new compositions, significantly expanding the contemporary canon for low strings.
A cornerstone of their work is close collaboration with leading visionary composers. In 2023, catinblack premiered being-sent, a hour-long work for singing low string trio written for them by Jonah Haven. That same year, they collaborated with Chaya Czernowin on her work Poetica, recording it at the renowned IRCAM in Paris. Their expansive repertoire also features works by composers such as Elena Firsova, Michael Edwards, and Hans Tutschku, among many others.
Beyond international stages, the ensemble curates its own concert series in Essen, where they experiment with new performance formats and seek active collaborations with contemporary artists. By focusing on the tactile and resonant qualities of the lower string spectrum, catinblack ensemble continues to develop new sound worlds that are as precise as they are profound.
Sofia von Atzingen studied viola at the UFMG in Belo Horizonte/Brazil and at the University of Music Karlsruhe. Her enthusiasm for contemporary music led her to complete a Master's degree in New Music with Barbara Maurer at the Folkwang University of the Arts and a doctorate on the solo sonata for viola by B.A. Zimmermann at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). From 2016 to 2018 she taught as professor for viola at the State University of Minas Gerais (UEMG) in Brazil and is currently a substitute teacher at the Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe in Germany. She is a founding member of the ensemble catinblack and has been a violist with Ensemble Recherche since 2022.
Ema Grčman is a versatile cellist based in Europe whose recent performances have focused on interdisciplinary collaborations with her chamber music ensembles Trio LYS, ensemble aurōrae and Quartensprung. She has studied with renowned cellists and pedagogues including Valter Dešpalj, Julian Arp, Torleif Thedeen and Thomas Demenga. Her festival appearances include the Stift Festival, Enescu Festival, Tartini Festival, Ljubljana Festival, Davos Festival and many others. One of her most memorable performances was her debut in Ljubljana, where she captivated audiences with Brahms' iconic Double Concerto with the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. Ema has also been an academy member of the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss Orchestra and the Bern Symphony Orchestra. She as well performs with orchestras such as the O/Modernt Chamber Orchestra, the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and as solo cellist with the Folkwang Kammerorchester. Since 2023 she is cellist of the ensemble catinblack.
Javad Javadzade (born 1992 in Baku, Azerbaijan) is a multidisciplinary artist who works as a contrabassist, bass guitarist, improviser and photographer. He began his musical training on the Azerbaijani classical instrument, the tar, before moving on to the contrabass and bass guitar. He is a founding member of the catinblack ensemble, a low string trio dedicated to contemporary music based in Germany.
He studied at the Uzeyir Hajibeyli Baku Music Academy and later completed his Masters and Konzertexamen at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany with Professor Niek de Groot.
Javad's repertoire as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral musician includes music ranging from the Baroque period to the contemporary era, with concerts performed in Europe, Asia and the United States.
