Royal College of Music, Young Musicians' Festival, 2001
![[Tavec String Quartet]](images/older/tavec.jpg)
Tom Hankey, violin
Clara Biss, violin
Vanessa McNaught, viola
Elizabeth Stone, cello
The Tavec Quartet was formed by Royal College of Music students in January 1999 and since then has performed in numerous venues including St Martin-in-the-Fields, the Serpentine Gallery as part of the BBC Proms series and for music societies across the country. The Tavec Quartet has won many prestigious prizes including the RCM's Helen Just String Quartet Prize, the Rio-Tinto Ensemble Prize and Miller Trophy in the Royal Overseas League Annual Music Competition, and the Net4 Music Prize at the Bristol Millennium Chamber Music Competition. The Quartet has also held a number of workshops in primary schools in the Newcastle area.
Tom Hankey studied with Krysztof Smeitana at the Junior Guildhall before going on to the Purcell School. He is currently in his final year at the Royal College of Music, studying with Levon Chilingirian. Tom has performed as a soloist and chamber musician across Europe, and has won many prizes including the Oxford Young Musician of the year as well as violin prizes within the Royal College of Music.
Clara Biss Clara Biss is a fourth year student at the Royal College of Music, currently studying the violin with Itzhak Rashkovsky and viola with Ivo Van der Werff. She was recently awarded scholarships to have masterclasses with Erich Gruenberg in Mondsee, Austria and Ruggiero Ricci at the Dartington International Summer School.
Vanessa McNaught graduated in Philosophy and Maths from Edinburgh University in 1998, prior to completing a year at the Royal College of Music where she graduated with a distinction. Vanessa has won the Bernard Shore Prize as part of the Royal Overseas League Competition, as well as being awarded study grants from the Caird Trust, the Countess of Muster Trust and the KPMG / Martin Musical Award. For the past two years, Vanessa has been invited to perform at the IMS Prussia Cove Chamber Music Seminar.
Elizabeth Stone has recently graduated from the Royal College of Music where she studied with Steven Doane. Previously she won Leverhulme scholarships to attend both the Purcell School and the Royal College of Music Junior Department. Elizabeth has performed at many major London venues including the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Purcell Room, Barbican and St John's Smith Square. She has recently performed the Brahms Double Concerto with the Antioch Players. Elizabeth has been a teacher on the Stringwise course, and since 1996, on the National Chamber Music Course.