The Aestus String Quartet

Leda Mileto, violin
Christopher Karwacinski, violin
Beth Willett, viola
Clara Hope Simpson, cello

The group started playing together in October 2021 at the Royal Northern College of Music. Their name is inspired by Britten’s String Quartet No 2 because its beginning is evocative of the back-and-forth flow of the sea tide (aestus in Latin). 2022 was a busy year.

In February they programmed and performed the Britten together with the composer’s arrangement of H Purcell’s Chaconne in G minor for strings for the RNCM’s Spotlight public recital series. In May, they were recipients of the RNCM’s Weil Chamber Music Prize for classical and modern repertoire,which led them to compete in the RNCM’s Christopher Rowland Ensemble of the Year Prize Final in June. That month they were selected as one of four groups across all UK Conservatoires to participate in Cambridge-based Hans Keller program 2022/2023 (Chamber Studio).

In August they featured as Young Artist String Apprentices in Southwell Music Festival where they gave a recital as well as performed in the Festival Strings and Sinfonia. In September they gave a recital For the BBC Philharmonic pre-concert series at the Bridgewater Hall (Manchester). They also gave recitals for Buxton Opera House Coffee Concerts in October and St. Ann’s Church Concert Series in November (Manchester).

They represented the RNCM at Sandbach School (Cheshire) for the launch of their Music Specialist Program. In November they also performed in the RNCM Concert Hall as part of its public Thursday Lunchtime recital series. Twenty Three was notable as in February 2023, they featured as Emerging Artists in the Lake District Summer Music Festival’s Patrons concert series. In March they performed at Lymm Chamber Music Festival, where they also led a chamber music workshop, WACIDOM Charity (Warrington) concert series and Lake District Summer Music Festival where they led chamber music workshops and feature in a community project.

The Aestus String Quartet appears by kind permission of the RNCM.

www.aestusquartet.com