Chamber Music

Kaya Kato Møller violin
Nikolai Vasili Nedergaard violin
Daniel Śledziński viola
Signe Ebstrup Bitsch cello

The NOVO Quartet began in 2018 with three childhood friends and a Polish violist, originally named simply because they were ‘new’. Seven years on, they still embrace that spirit of discovery, performing more than 75 concerts a year in venues ranging from Wigmore Hall to a boys’ school in Kenya. Their curiosity has taken them on outreach tours to Kenya, Greenland, Svalbard, and Colombia, while major achievements, including top prizes at Geneva, Heidelberg, Carl Nielsen, and Trondheim, have solidified their international reputation. They were recently selected as BBC New Generation Artists for 2025-27 and also serve as Ensemble in Association at the Royal Northern College of Music, supporting young chamber musicians through performances, coaching, and collaboration.

Their 2025 debut album, TRACK 1, featuring works by Nielsen, Shostakovich, and Vestergård, has earned exceptional praise, including five stars in Politiken and Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice. Beyond the concert stage, collaborations with brands such as UNIQLO and Shaping New Tomorrow reflect their modern approach to outreach. At the heart of everything is their close-knit bond, which inspired their festival, ACROSS: a gathering of established ensembles celebrating the shared spirit of chamber music.

Zany Denyer piano
Magdalena Riedl violin
Seth Collin cello

Trio Havisham is an award-winning ensemble whose performances have been described as having ‘real flair, while never losing that sense of balance’ (CAVATINA, 2022).

They are on the Countess of Munster Recital Scheme and have been selected for recital tours by the Kirckman Concert Society and the Tunnell Trust. They were invited to the 2025 IMS Prussia Cove Masterclasses, where they studied with Anthony Marwood, and in summer 2025 were Ensemble en Résidence at the La Roque d’Anthéron International Piano Festival at the invitation of Trio Wanderer. The trio is grateful for the support of Beare’s Cultural Trust, the European Chamber Music Academy, and ChamberStudio UK. They look forward to taking part in the Trondheim International Chamber Music Academy and Académie Ravel later this year.

Competition successes include second prize at the Concours International de Musique de Chambre de Lyon (2023), as well as first prize at the CAVATINA Intercollegiate Chamber Music Competition at Wigmore Hall. More recently, they were prizewinners at the Schoenfeld International String Competition in Harbin, China (2025).

The trio looks forward to holding Junior Fellowships at both the Royal Northern College of Music, where the ensemble was originally formed, and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Magdalena and Seth play instruments generously loaned by Beare’s International Violin Society.

Born in Utrecht in 1991 to a musical family, Dutch-American violinist Amarins Wierdsma studied with Coosje Wijzenbeek at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, Vera Beths at the Conservatory of Amsterdam, and David Takeno at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, where she completed her Master’s degree, Artist Diploma, and Fellowship with distinction.

During her studies, Amarins won numerous awards, including the Royal Philharmonic Society’s Emily Anderson Prize, third prize at the Dutch National Oskar Back Violin Competition, the Dutch Young Music Talent of the Year Award, and first prizes at the Davina van Wely and Iordens Viooldagen competitions.

Amarins is first violinist of the internationally acclaimed Barbican Quartet, winners of first prize at the 71st ARD International String Quartet Competition, following earlier victories at the Joseph Joachim International Chamber Music Competition and Bordeaux International String Quartet Competition. The quartet performs regularly at leading venues and festivals across Europe and North America.

As a soloist, Amarins has appeared throughout Europe, the United States, and Indonesia, performing at venues including the Concertgebouw Amsterdam and Cadogan Hall. She is also a sought-after guest leader, having led orchestras including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata Salzburg, and the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. She performs on a 1764 Guadagnini violin, generously loaned by the Dutch National Musical Instruments Foundation.

Each year, exceptional string quartets comprising RNCM students and recent graduates are selected through a competitive application, audition, and interview process. Through an intensive year-long programme, each ensemble develops its repertoire, artistic identity, ensemble performance, and concert experience. The RNCM String Quartet Studio is designed to provide a clear pathway from conservatoire training into the profession.

In 2026/27, we are delighted to support four outstanding ensembles through the RNCM String Quartet Studio, thanks to the generous funding of the Albert and Eugenie Frost Music Trust CIO.

Each String Quartet Studio ensemble receives:

• Access to dedicated daily rehearsal space
• Weekly coaching sessions with RNCM School of Strings professors, selected by the ensemble
• Lessons and masterclasses with internationally renowned visiting artists
• Performance opportunities, including internal recitals and external engagements arranged through the RNCM Artists Agency

This comprehensive programme is led by Jennifer Langridge, Head of Strings Chamber Music, who serves as both tutor and mentor to the quartets, providing ongoing artistic guidance, practical support, and professional advice throughout the year.

Agogo Quartet
Agogo Quartet is an emerging Manchester-based string quartet comprising two RNCM alumni, a Junior Fellow in Viola, and a current student at the Royal Northern College of Music. As Artists-in-Residence at the Barrow Classical Music Foundation, they regularly perform at St Mary’s Church, Barrow-in-Furness. The quartet has also appeared in Lake District Music’s Spring Series and returns this summer as one of the festival’s Emerging Resident Quartets.

Agogo has received coaching from Pavel Fischer, Louise Lansdown, and Susie Mészáros, while its members have performed at venues including Wigmore Hall and collaborated with leading chamber ensembles across the UK.

Committed to imaginative programming and collaborative performance, Agogo Quartet is rapidly establishing itself as an exciting new voice on the UK chamber music scene.

Osian Quartet
Osian Ensemble is a string quartet based in the North of England and formed at the Royal Northern College of Music. Comprising Jacob Wright, Yilin Xu, Kirin Howat and Sam Hills-Field, the quartet joins the RNCM’s prestigious String Quartet Studio in 2026/27, building on its growing reputation as an exciting young ensemble.

Equally at home in the classical repertoire and cross-genre collaborations, Osian Ensemble has performed in concert series across the UK and in innovative projects ranging from fashion shows to Manichester, a tribute to Mani of The Stone Roses, performed before an audience of 3,000. Finalists in the RNCM Weil Chamber Music Prize, the quartet combines adventurous programming with energetic performances, bringing fresh perspectives to the string quartet repertoire and engaging audiences in both traditional and unconventional settings.

Talland Quartet
The Talland Quartet (pictured) formed at the RNCM and are dedicated to sharing their passion for chamber music. Named after Talland Bay in Cornwall, they have won multiple RNCM prizes and continue their studies on the Quartet Studio programme. They were the Young String Quartet in Residence at the South Downs Summer Music Festival in 2025 and will appear as Young Artists at the West Cork Music Festival in 2026.

Their projects range from supporting Anna Meredith at Manchester International Festival to delivering primary‑school workshops across the North of England. Committed to new music, they are working on a commission with composer and drummer Eden Longson, supported by the Nicholas Boas Trust. They have performed widely across the UK and internationally, including at Manchester Middays, Lake District Music, the Danish String Quartet Academy and the Delft Chamber Music Atelier, and have studied with musicians such as Donald Grant, Pavel Fischer, Richard Ireland, Cecily Ward, Tim Frederiksen and John Myerscough.

Voluta Quartet (pictured)
The award-winning Voluta Quartet is a vibrant Manchester-based string ensemble formed by graduates of the Royal Northern College of Music. Appointed to the RNCM String Quartet Studio for 2026/27, the ensemble has already achieved considerable success, winning both the RNCM Hirsch Prize and the RNCM Weil Chamber Music Prize, as well as reaching the final of the Christopher Rowland Chamber Ensemble of the Year Award.

The quartet has recently recorded new music with Royal Northern Records and has benefited from coaching by some of the world’s leading chamber musicians and ensembles. They perform regularly across Greater Manchester and look forward to an exciting programme of concerts and engagements throughout the UK in 2026/27.

The RNCM is the sole UK educational partner of the prestigious European Chamber Music Academy (ECMA). Over the past 20 years, ECMA has established itself as a leading European network dedicated to the ongoing development and support of chamber music and emerging professional ensembles.

Founded in 2004, ECMA is characterised by artistic excellence, international collaboration, and active participation in shaping the future of chamber music, building on Europe’s rich chamber music traditions.

As a member of this exclusive network, the RNCM is able to nominate exceptional chamber ensembles to participate in masterclasses and residency programmes at partner institutions across Europe. These include the Conservatoire de Paris, the Royal Conservatoire The Hague, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, the Norwegian Academy of Music, and the Liszt Academy Budapest, among many other leading institutions.

Through these international opportunities, RNCM students gain invaluable experience, perform and study alongside peers from across Europe, and develop the artistic and professional skills needed for successful careers in chamber music.