VC Artist and Australian cellist Benett Tsai has performed actively as a soloist and chamber musician since his mainstage debut at the age of thirteen. He came to international attention as a top prizewinner at the 2022 Grand Prix Emanuel Feuermann, where he was the youngest entrant. Soon after, he joined the roster of Young Concert Artists upon winning First Prize and The Stern Young Artist Award at the 2023 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. His subsequent recital was listed by New York Classical Review as one of the best debuts in 2024, and he is currently part of the Lausanne-based Classeek Ambassador Programme for the 2025/26 season.

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"Lincoln in the Bardo" is the first main-stage opera by a woman to be commissioned and premiered solely by The Metropolitan Opera.

In 2018, Mazzoli made history when she became one of the first two women, along with composer Jeanine Tesori, to be commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera. Mazzoli is the fifth woman to ever have a work on the Met stage.

The newest piece is based on George Saunders's novel of the same name, and tells the story of the hours following the funeral of Abraham Lincoln's son Willie. Performed during the 250th anniversary of the United States, from the perspective of the graveyard’s residents, the opera invites reflection on the nation’s founding ideals.

Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the production will be directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, Resident Director of Lincoln Center Theater. The cast includes baritone Peter Mattei as Lincoln, soprano Christine Goerke as the Reverend, countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo as Miss Elise Traynor, and mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as Mrs. Baron.

GRAMMY®-nominated composer Missy Mazzoli is the Composer-in-Residence at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and from 2012-2015 served as the Composer-in-Residence with Opera Philadelphia. Upcoming commissions include works for Opera Philadelphia, the National Ballet of Canada, Chicago Lyric Opera and Norwegian National Opera.

Her music has been performed all over the world by the Kronos Quartet, eighth blackbird, pianist Emanuel Ax, Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, the Detroit Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, LA Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, the BBC Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony, JACK Quartet, violinist Jennifer Koh, mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo, and many others. Her works are published by G. Schirmer.

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"I decided a few years ago to put myself out there as the kind of artist I saw others become," Andrew said. "MKI has been doing such great work with my forever team, the Attaca Quartet, and I have been wanting to expand my reach as a composer and soloist, they were the obvious first choice, and I am so happy they have brought me on."

One of the projects MKI Artists will focus on is touring Yee's work, "Trans Requiem."

The piece received its world premiere in New York City in September 2025 at Trinity Church.

Written for trans voices, choirs, and orchestra, Yee’s work not only amplifies the beauty, strength, and diversity of the trans experience but also affirms the dignity of every voice.

“My Trans Requiem not only mourns for those who have passed, but also for the loss of our rights, and safety,” she said. “But much like a traditional mass setting, I also focus on the things that hold us together. I wrote the piece to celebrate my trans community and to have a focused time to uplift and to mourn.

Andrew Yee has received two GRAMMY Awards as a founding member of the Attacca Quartet. The quartet can also be heard on the score to Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple TV+ series Disclaimer (music by Finneas O’Connell) and on Billie Eilish’s album Hit Me Hard and Soft.

As a composer, she has co-composed the score for Wu Tsang’s "MOBY DICK; or, The Whale" with Caroline Shaw. Her music for film and television includes Love, Jamie (PBS American Masters), and two seasons of the BBC series We Might Regret This, where she also appears as a performer.

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Led by its President, Konstantin Ishkhanov, alongside Artistic Director Alexander Chaushian,  the competition's 40-participant cohort is now officially confirmed.

We sat down with Chaushian ahead of the competition’s launch, and spoke to him about the origins of Classic Cello, its guiding philosophies, and what excites him most about this upcoming edition.

Can you tell us about the journey that led you here, and how the idea first began for the Classic Cello competition?

When I was invited to serve as a jury member at the cello contest that was held as part of the Classic Strings competition in Dubai, one of my first thoughts was how wonderful it would be to have a competition of the same magnitude in London. As far as I know, there had never been an international cello competition of this scale in the city, so I decided to propose the idea to Konstantin Ishkhanov. To my great surprise and happiness, he simply said, “Why not? We can try.” That was really the starting point of it all, and then the idea grew and evolved from there. Konstantin is just the perfect person to work with on a project like this, because once the idea is there, Konstantin Ishkhanov is tireless in working to make it come to life, and we can see it happening here once again! Now, thanks to his support, that dream from Dubai is becoming a reality, and we are going to see the cello take the spotlight in a way that London has never really seen before!

As a former competition winner yourself, what philosophies did you want to implement in leading Classic Cello?

For me personally, competitions are not really what music is about. That said, they are important, and have a crucial place in our world. When I was younger and took part in competitions myself, I remember how seriously I practised and how much I improved afterwards. They pushed me to grow in a way that was ultimately very valuable. I wanted Classic Cello to reflect that balance, where we recognise that the competition is a tool for development, rather than an end in itself, and this is something that I would like our participants to take away with them as well.

Why was it important for you not to impose a strict age limit on competitors?

Competitions can help musicians develop and bring out the very best in themselves. At the same time, there is always an element of sport involved, which isn’t necessarily ideal for the arts. It can sometimes make performers less spontaneous on stage. By allowing a broader age range, we give space for artistic maturity and individual development, rather than focusing solely on age- related benchmarks.

Can you tell us about the orchestra and conductor in residence for the Final Round?

We are truly honoured to have the Philharmonia Orchestra, London, performing in the finals. It is a legendary ensemble, and I believe any musician would be proud to share the stage with them. And Tomàs Grau is an absolutely wonderful conductor! I worked with him recently and was very impressed. Taking on this role in a competition like this is not easy, but I believe he is an excellent choice to help bring out the very best in all our finalists.

The jury is not made up exclusively of cello performers. What was the philosophy behind this choice?

I saw this as an excellent opportunity to invite representatives from a broad spectrum of musical fields. The jury is exceptionally distinguished and, in many ways, unmatched, bringing together not only cellists, but also directors of major festivals and leading orchestras. I also made a conscious effort to think globally about our jurors, and in fact, the panel will be representing six different nations from around the world in all. I believe that this diversity allows for a more rounded and insightful evaluation of each performance which will be very important in helping us to identify who is truly most worthy of being a prizewinner of Classic Cello.

The participant list for this first edition is now confirmed. What were your impressions of the applicant pool, and how challenging was the selection process?

The overall level was remarkably high, with candidates ranging in age from 13 to 40. Perhaps what was most impressive of all was the sheer global nature of the applications; by the end of the registration period we had received auditions from cellists from more than 30 different countries, which is something unheard of for most contests of this nature. Narrowing the field down to just 40 cellists was not easy at all, but I am very happy with the final result. We have formed a truly diverse group, and our participant cohort will be bringing together players from over 20 different countries, and a wide range of musical traditions. It’s certain to be extremely interesting for us to witness, while also being a true representation of the cello world, especially when you take into consideration the repertoire, which ranges all the way from Bach up to the contemporary with pieces from our Composer-in-Residence Alexey Shor. In fact, the programme has been carefully planned with this in mind. Shor’s music is among the most frequently performed by a living composer in recent years, largely due to his wide-ranging concerto repertoire, as well as his romantic and highly melodic style. His pieces are part of the set compositions, and the interpretation of Shor’s works will play a significant role in the overall impression each participant leaves on the jury. His works demand a high level of technical virtuosity, artistic maturity and true mastery of the instrument in order to convey a personal and convincing interpretation, and we will be keeping an eye out for all these aspects during the competition.

Classic Cello offers cash prizes from first through ninth place, which is relatively uncommon. Why was this important to you?

Well, we felt that if a musician reaches the final stages of a competition they have already demonstrated an exceptional level of skill, commitment, and achievement, and this should be acknowledged. In my view, reaching the finals is an accomplishment in itself and deserves adequate recognition, which is why we have opted for this unorthodox prize system. Offering prizes beyond just the top few positions better reflects the effort and dedication required to reach that level, without diminishing the value of the top awards.

What are you most looking forward to as Classic Cello approaches?

I have a deep love for the cello and greatly enjoy listening to a wide variety of cellists. I value the opportunity to learn from each performance, and I am especially curious to observe how the jury responds to the different interpretations and artistic approaches. Ultimately, I truly believe that this will be a wonderful competition, and one that celebrates both the artistry of cellists and the richness of classical music itself!

For more information, click here.

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The album features Vaughn William’s Lark Ascending, Ellen Reid’s Desiderium for solo violin, and Caroline Shaw’s Plan & Elevation arranged for chamber orchestra. Sam Amidon's songs have been arranged for an ensemble by Nico Muhly. 

“The Willows album, to me, is an embrace, a comfortable silence and a knowing look between friends," Pekka Kuusisto remarks. "A large part of the process of making the album revolved around grief, both personal and global, as recent times have not displayed the best of humanity. I don’t subscribe to the adage ‘to create art, one must suffer’. However, using the undeniable weight of sorrow to try to put some beauty into the world seems like a worthy endeavour.”

Hear the full album below:  

Violinist, conductor, and composer Pekka Kuusisto is the Artistic Director of the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor & Artistic Co-Director of Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor of the Gothenburg Symphony. Kuusisto will be the Chief Conductor designate of Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra from April 2028. In 1995, he was the first Finn to win the International Jean Sibelius Violin Competition and receive a special prize for the best performance of the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Kuusisto plays a 1709 Antonio Stradivari violin, known as the “Scotta,” loaned by a patron through Tarisio Auctions.

In the 25/26 season, Kuusisto continues his work with the Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, presenting the DSCH Shostakovich musical theatre experience to Oslo and Copenhagen. 

Pekka is a graduate of the Sibelius Academy (1983-1985) and the Indiana University School of Music (1992-1996) under the tutelage of Miriam Fried and Paul Biss.

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Larsen Friends shines a light on local heroes and national stars alike: from the teacher who inspires generations in a small studio to the orchestral player whose consistency forms the backbone of an ensemble.

Each musician highlighted by the Larsen Friends initiative is nominated by members of their respective communities.

Read more about the initiative, see some of the showcased musicians, and nominate a string player here.

"What makes the project distinctive is its sense of closeness," a representative told The Violin Channel. "Many of those featured are long-standing collaborators and trusted companions – dear friends in the truest sense. The emphasis is not on perfection or prestige, but on authenticity. On how individual sound is shaped over time, through curiosity, discipline and human connection.

"Violin Channel readers are invited to take part in this unfolding story," they added. "Nominate your local Larsen hero – the violinist, cellist or violinist in your community whose sound and story deserve to be heard. By doing so, you help widen the circle, ensuring that dedication, artistry, and character are recognized wherever they live.

"Because the most compelling stories in music are often found not only on the biggest stages, but in the people who quietly shape the musical world around them."

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The competition's premier division is the Oskar Back Prize, open to violinists aged 18 to 26. The finalists in this category performed alongside the Residentie Orkest and conductor Otto Tausk. This category was won by the Dutch-Finnish violinist Rebecca Roozeman, who received a cash prize of €12,000 as well as the €1,000 audience prize.

Roozeman is a current student of Lena Neudauer at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, where she is pursuing her master's degree. She won the 2018 Leonid Kogan Competition and the 2019 Juhani Heinonen Violin Competition, as well as the Erkki Melartin Chamber Music Competition in the Seele Quartet.

She has made solo appearances with the Finnish Chamber Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Finnish National Opera, and the Tapiola Sinfonietta.

Second prize in the Oskar Back category (€6,000) was shared between Luna van Leeuwen and Yente Lottman, and van Leeuwen also won the €1,500 industry prize. Finally, Martine Velthuis won the €1,500 prize for the best performance of the commissioned work, Dialogos by Hawar Tawfiq.

In the 14-17 age category, the €3,000 first prize was won by Katja Naegele, while second prize (€1,500) went to Wendel de Bruijne, and third prize (€750) was awarded to Eline van Dijk.

In the 13-14 age category, the €1,000 first prize was given to violinist Anne Sophie van Lier, the €500 second prize went to Ceylin Tok, and the €250 third prize to Lies Vermeer.

In the 10-12 age category, the €1,000 first prize went to Raelene Pramana, and the €500 second prize was shared between Emma Nelson and Emmanuel Akopian. In addition, Timur Yusupov received a €200 encouragement prize for a violinist aged 10-11 was awarded to violinist.

The 2026 jury for the Oskar Back Prize comprised Janneke Slokkers (chair), Antti Tikkanen, Carla Leurs, Kees Hulsmann, Mikhail Zemtsov, Sonja van Beek, Theodora Geraets, Tatiana Samouil, and Hoei Lien The.

"Rebecca is a born soloist," said Slokkers. "She shows great mastery, daring to take artistic risks and played with complete sovereignty."

 

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Born in Newport, Wales, in 1958, Stevens studied the cello as a child with Dorothy Miller before completing a two-year preparatory music course at Dartington College. Aged just 16, he appeared as a soloist in Elgar's Cello Concerto with the College Orchestra.

He then studied jointly at the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music, before continuing to Birmingham University, where his composition teacher was John Joubert. It was during this period that he completed his first substantial work, a string quintet.

Over the course of his career, Stevens completed more than 180 works. The cello features strongly in his catalogue: he wrote a Sonata and Suite for unaccompanied cello, a cello concerto, 14 works for cello and piano and nearly 40 short works for unaccompanied cello.

Stevens also wrote for other stringed instruments, including two sonatas for violin and piano, seven shorter works for violin and piano and two short works for unaccompanied violin, as well as three short works for viola and a viola concerto.

A complete recording of Stevens' orchestral music was made by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and conductor Paul Mann, which is currently being released on the Toccata Classics label. In addition, Divine Art Records released five albums devoted to his chamber music, and his work Men improve with the years for soprano, recorder, oboe, violin, and cello is available on a Divine Art disc devoted to the works of Sir John Manduell.

Towards the end of his life, Stevens wrote an autobiography, which you can read in full on his website.

"My words are intended for informed and inquisitive music-lovers, to provide a readable introduction to my music, to give a sense of the range of my creative output, and, hopefully, to stimulate greater interest in my compositional oeuvre," Stevens wrote.

Our condolences to Mr. Stevens' family, friends, and colleagues.

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This year, the program received 220 applications from 36 states and 3 countries. The six selected composers are Arjan Singh Dogra, 26 (Brooklyn, NY); Keir GoGwilt, 34 (New York, NY); Alexa Rinn, 35 (Chicago, IL); Isaac Santos, 25 (Princeton, NJ); Akshaya Avril Tucker, 33 (Los Angeles, CA), and Benjamin Webster, 28 (Plymouth, MA).

During the residency, the Fellows will each create a new small-ensemble composition, which will be workshopped at individual daily rehearsals with program director Derek Bermel and artists from the Copland House Ensemble, who specialize in new music.

They will also benefit from evening discussion sessions with a range of arts leaders, who will offer them real- life perspectives on how best to develop their careers.

The residency will conclude with two concerts by the Copland House Ensemble, the first at Copland House and the second at the Elebash Recital Hall at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. The program will feature the world premiere performances of the six new works, performed by clarinetist Moran Katz, violinist Pala Garcia, cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach, and pianist Margaret Kampmeier.

The 2026 jury comprised Derek Bermel (Chair), as well as former Residents or CULTIVATE Fellows Christopher Cerrone, Henry Dorn, Shih-Hui Chen, Jeremy Gill, Juri Seo, and Stephen Andrew Taylor.

"As usual, the jurors and I were bowled over by the imagination and craft of this year’s CULTIVATE applicants," said Derek Bermel. "I’m looking forward to a week of stimulating conversations as we explore the creative process of composing, rehearsing, refining, and performing the brand-new works of these outstanding young composers."

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The festival aims to bring art music into the public eye, broadening both public and scholarly engagement with this repertoire, much like the popularity of Latin American popular music.

The first concert, on March 1, will feature the Jopara Ensemble, whose music blends traditional Paraguayan elements with classical and contemporary influences. Also on the program is “Perú Negro” by the Peruvian composer Jimmy López, written for two pianos and two percussionists, which will be performed by students.

On March 2, School of Music faculty will play works by Brazilian composers Fernando Deddos and Flautino Vale, Puerto Rican composer Johanny Navarro, U.S./Paraguayan composer Miguel del Águila, and others.

Finally, on March 3, School of Music students will present works from Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay by composers Manuel María Ponce, Alberto Ginastera, Francisca Gonzaga, and others. The concert will also include a world premiere by Guatemalan composer Ricardo Melchor.

You can learn more about the Festival here.

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Kavakos made his performance debut with the Minnesota Orchestra in March 1995, playing the Stravinsky Violin Concerto. He returned over the next five years for 16 performances, before first conducting the ensemble in a May 2023 program featuring Brahms’ Symphony No. 1 and Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 1. His most recent appearance was last October.

“We are very happy to welcome Leonidas Kavakos into this new role,” said Music Director Thomas Søndergård. “He is an artist of great integrity and creativity who will bring conviction, passion and interesting projects to our Orchestra and audiences. I know he will contribute substantially to the musical vitality of the organization, and I’m looking forward to our first collaboration.” Søndergård will lead concerts with Kavakos appearing as violin soloist in May 2028.

“I am thrilled to be joining the Minnesota Orchestra as its principal guest conductor,” said Leonidas Kavakos. “As a young music student still forming a musical identity, I was deeply inspired by the Minnesota Orchestra’s recordings with the legendary Dimitri Mitropoulos. The Orchestra produces a sound of rare warmth and flexibility, an element that has impressed me since my debut as a soloist in the 1990s. Through the years, it has been my great pleasure to share the stage with its wonderful musicians in all of our performances together, including at Carnegie Hall.

“I first conducted the Orchestra in 2023 and the rehearsals and performances were pure joy. I felt an immediate chemistry with my colleagues, and together we've found the sense of expressive freedom that every musician aims for. As principal guest conductor, I am tremendously looking forward to working more in depth with this fantastic Orchestra and creating powerful musical experiences for the city of Minneapolis. Finally, I want to express my gratitude to Music Director Thomas Søndergård, President and CEO Isaac Thompson, and Vice President of Artistic Planning Erik Finley, for their trust and support in welcoming me into the Minnesota Orchestra family!”

Born in 1967 in Athens, Greece, into a musical family, Kavakos began learning the violin at age six from his father who was then a violinist in the State Orchestra of Athens. A graduate of the Hellenic Conservatory and Indiana University Bloomington, Leonidas studied with Stelios Kafantaris and Josef Gingold.

He has appeared with countless major orchestras worldwide as a violinist and conductor and participated in significant international festivals, such as Lucerne, Edinburgh, Salzburg, London's PROMS, Hollywood Bowl, and Tanglewood.

In 2022, he founded the ApollΩn Ensemble, a chamber group of Greek musicians, and in 2025, he took over as the artistic director of the “Classic Revolution” Festival at Lotte Concert Hall, Seoul. Kavakos is also an artist in residence at the Dallas Symphony this season where he will appear as both a soloist and conductor.

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The winner of the 2022 edition was Natsuho Murata, who was 15 years old when she was awarded. She is also the former first prize winner of the 2018 Il Piccolo Violino Magico International Competition when she was 10 years old.

This year, the Tibor Junior International Violin Competition will be held under the auspices of the Piccolo Violino Magico Competition and its head, Domenico Mason.

Natsuho began playing the violin at age 3 and made her solo debut with the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra when she was 11. She is currently a student of Koichiro Harada, Zakhar Bron and Mayuko Kamio as a student at the Tokyo College of Music High School. She plays on a 1765 Gennaro Gagliano violin, on loan from the Nippon Violin Society.

You can hear her performing Bach's Double Violin Concerto with Tedi Papavrami and Waxman's Carmen Fantasie at the 2022 Tibor Junior International Violin Competition below.

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Barry Mitchell graduated from the University's College of Engineering and Applied Science in 1982. His career has included work at the Space Shuttle Program in Houston (from 1982 to early 1986) and at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, where he also earned his master’s degree in applied physics. He has worked on the NATO Missile Defense Program, which included work in more than 35 European countries.

His gift will be divided into two to support CCM's activities. $2 million will be used to endow the Barry L. Mitchell Chair, which will support a faculty member in the CCM, and the school will determine the scope of that role.

A further $1.3 million will create the Barry L. Mitchell Endowed Scholarship Fund. These scholarships will be awarded to students enrolled in composition, musicology, and theory; ensembles and conducting; keyboard studies; performance studies; music education, or similar areas of study, for up to a maximum of five years of the duration of their studies.

"UC changed my life," Mitchell said. "College opened an entire new world to me, a world of ideas, beauty and possibilities. I was lucky. And this is the gift I would like to leave to future generations."

"The reason why, as an engineer, I chose to support CCM is that I believe the world needs more humanities. I believe intuition and a broad life perspective played a key role in my career success."

"Barry’s thoughtful and forward-thinking gift will enable the college to respond to current needs, while providing opportunities for our thriving community of students," said Peter Jutras, dean and Thomas James Kelly Professor of Music at CCM. "I’m so thankful for his support of future generations of artists."

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Dedicated entirely to his own compositions, offers a series of musical portraits of experiences, relationships, stories, and literary works drawn from Brown's life.

In addition to Brown, the album's performers include pianists Jerome Lowenthal, Ursula Oppens, and Anne-Marie McDermott, soprano Susanna Phillips, violist Paul Neubauer, clarinetist Osmo Vänskä, and violinist Erin Keefe.

Pieces included on the album include Four Lakes for Children (2024), Pas de trios (2025), Relationship (2018), Twelve Blocks for Piano (Four Hands) and Poetry (2021), Love's Lives Lost (2023), Breakup Etude for the Right Hand Alone (2020), and Pour Angeline (2024).

The album's cover artwork was contributed by American cartoonist and writer Amy Kurzweil.

"These are pieces for the people who’ve shaped my life—in ways tender, complicated, and occasionally absurd," wrote Brown. "From lost loves to lifelong mentors, from children who never grew up to couples who walk twelve blocks just to see each other, this album is full of true stories, emotional detours, and at least one breakup etude I probably should’ve kept to myself."

Hear the full album below:

A 2025 MacDowell Fellow and 2024 Yaddo Artist, composer and pianist Michael Stephen Brown is the recipient of awards including the 2026 Andrew Wolf Chamber Music Award, the Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, and an Avery Fisher Career Grant. His music has been commissioned and performed by ensembles such as the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Maryland Symphony, and more, and he has appeared in recital at Alice Tully Hall, the Louvre, Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, and festivals such as Tanglewood, Marlboro, Music@Menlo, Ravinia, and Caramoor. Brown is a graduate of The Juilliard School.

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Each year, the organization selects a group of young artists and offers them a London performing platform, as well as the possibility of concerts elsewhere. Six individuals/ensembles have been selected for 2026/27: Tomos Boyles (piano), Gabrielé Sutkuté (piano), Catherina Lee (violin) and Miles Walter (piano), the Volt Duo, Trio Nostos, and the Karelia Quartet.

Boyles is a student of Joanna MacGregor at the Royal Academy of Music, where he holds the prestigious Bicentennary Scholarship. He previously studied with Rustem Hayroudinoff and Alison Bowring and is a graduate of the University of Oxford.

Sutkuté has performed at the Wigmore Hall, Cadogan Hall, Bridgewater Hall, Steinway Hall UK, the Musikhuset Aarhus, and the Lithuanian National Philharmonic. A graduate of both the Royal Academy and the Royal College, she is the winner of more than twenty international piano competitions.

Australian violinist Catherina Lee and American pianist Miles Walter met at the IMS Prussia Cove masterclasses. Lee has appeared with the Göttinger Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto, Vienna Ensemble, Wiener Akademische Philharmoniker, Junge Philharmonie Wien, and Queensland Symphony, while Walter has played at the  Amsterdam Muziekgebouw, Lewes Chamber Festival, Britten Pears, and Lucerne and Tongyeong International Music Festivals.

Comprising guitarists Gus McQuade and Gonçalo Maia Caetano, the Volt Duo was formed at the Royal Academy of Music. They have appeared at the Llantwit Major Chamber Music Festival and City Music Society, and were prize-winners at the Lagoa International Guitar Competition in Portugal.

Trio Nostos comprises Monty Guo (violin), Jae Min Kim Kang (cello), and Khrystyna Mykhailichenko (piano). Also formed at the Royal Academy of Music, the group has appeared across the UK. Their concerts pair familiar works by Haydn, Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, and Ravel alongside lesser-known composers such as Babadjanian and Kapustin.

Comprising Megan Yang (violin), Emil Hartikainen (violin), Felix Pascoe (viola), and Daniel Schultz (cello), the Karelia Quartet has received First Prize at the Nina Drucker String Quartet Competition (2025), First Prize at the Historical Women's Composer Competition (2025), First Prize at the Wolfe Wolfinsohn String Quartet Competition (2024), and Second Prize at both the 2025 CAVATINA Chamber Music Competition at Wigmore Hall and the 2024 Nina Drucker String Quartet Competition.

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