The Chichele String Quartet

Royal Northern College of Music, YMF 2003

The Chichele String Quartet was formed by four students from the Royal Northern College of Music. They have participated in numerous masterclasses and coaching sessions with distinguished artists such as Hugh Maguire, Christopher Rowland, Andrew Watkinson and the Sorrel Quartet. They have performed in BeethovenFest, SchubertFest and this year's Mendelssohn Fest at the RNCM and were highly commended in the RNCM Hirsch Prize. They reached the finals of the 2001 Royal Overseas League competition and in March were invited to participate in a weekend of study with the Allegri String Quartet. In June 2001 they were awarded the RNCM John Barbirolli Prize for String Quartet. The Quartet performs regularly with music clubs and societies throughout the country.

Katie Stillman is currently in her fourth year of study on the joint course with the RNCM and the University of Manchester. She is studying with Wen Zhou Li on a four-year International Undergraduate Scholarship of the Associated Boards of the UK. She has won many competitions in Canada including the Grand Prize at the Canadian Music Competitions. While at college she won many awards for solo and chamber playing and also for her academic studies at the University. This year she received an English-Speaking Union Scholarship to attend the Aspen Summer Music School.

Helena Roques was born in 1980 and began learning the violin at the age of four. In 1991 she decided to continue her studies at Wells Cathedral specialist music school where she was funded by a DFEE scholarship. Helena was awarded an entrance scholarship to continue her studies at the RNCM in 1998, where she is currently in her fourth year, studying with Richard Ireland. A keen chamber musician, Helena is also a founder member of the Roques Piano Trio, formed at the RNCM, and with whom she has performed regularly throughout the UK and with whom she has taken part in masterclasses with Renna Kellaway and members of the Chilingirian and Sorrel Quartets.

Robin Panter, having previously learned the violin, then studied the viola under Roger Benedict and Scott Dickenson at the RNCM, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree and Postgraduate Diploma. He presently freelances with orchestras such as BBC Philharmonic, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and BBC Symphony, and has played with the European Union Youth Orchestra since 2001 under conductors such as Colin Davis, Vladimir Ashkenazy and James Conlon. He is currently Principal Viola in the Janacek Philharmonic under conductor Jan Latham Koenig. The orchestra has performed in Luhacovice, and more recently in Strasbourg for the European Parliament. Robin also plays with a young Italian chamber orchestra, which operates chamber concerts and festivals in the south of Italy.

Vanessa Lucas-Smith studied with Eduardo Vassallo at the RNCM. Since graduating in 2001 she has enjoyed a varied freelance career comprising orchestral, music theatre, solo and chamber music work. Orchestral credits include the Hallé Orchestra, CBSO and The Manchester Camerata. Vanessa was solo cellist in the Olivier Award winning play Humble Boy by Charlotte Jones starring Felicity Kendal and Simon Russell Beale. First running at the Royal National Theatre it later transferred to the West End and to the Gielgud Theatre. Vanessa is currently studying at City University, London for an MA in Cultural Management. Her other passion aside from music is football and she has recently begun training with Chelsea Ladies.

Programme details June 2001 | March 2003 | Pictures from 2003