Twenty-six appearances: that is the incredible number of times the legendary Martha Argerich has performed with different chamber music partners at the Ruhr Piano Festival, and every concert was a unique, unforgettable experience. For over forty years, the Grande Dame of pianists has been collaborating closely with violinist Gidon Kremer and cellist Mischa Maisky. These three accomplished musicians have no need for words to understand each other. “Whenever we go onstage, it feels as if we were in love,” Gidon Kremer once said, referring to Argerich; for his part, Mischa Maisky has confessed: “My dream would be to record the entire repertoire for cello and piano with Martha!” It is thus actually incredible that the all-star trio Argerich, Kremer, and Maisky has only made one appearance at the Festival until now: it took place in 2001 in Duisburg. Thus, we are overjoyed to welcome them in early 2022, particularly since the date falls close to the wonderful occasion of Gidon Kremer’s 75th birthday.