NATHALIE GREEN-BUCKLEY

Viola

Nathalie is already a seasoned chamber musician beyond her years. She graduated from Cambridge University and the Royal Academy of Music with first class honours, and now has a busy free-lance career. She performs with the top orchestras in the UK (Glyndebourne is a favourite), and has built up an impressive resume as a chamber musician. As violist of the Halcyon Quartet she reached the finals of the Royal Overseas League twice, and performed at major venues including the Royal Opera House.
Nathalie enjoys collaborating with artists from a range of musical backgrounds and styles. She was selected to feature on the critically-acclaimed debut album 'Sphinx' of counter-tenor Hamish McLaren under Orchid Classics, which can be heard regularly on the radio.
Nathalie continues her exploration of the string quartet repertoire with Icon Strings alongside session work and private teaching.
Nathalie plays on a William Gilkes viola from 1840 and a Maline bow, kindly on loan from David Wigram-Tomes.

Elise Harper

Violin

Elise is an established and versatile chamber musician. She began her studies at the University of Manchester and the Royal Northern College of Music, and was then awarded a full scholarship to the Royal College of Music in London to study on the Chamber Music Artist Diploma course. Elise led several projects for the Southbank Sinfonia, and was a founding member of the Alke Quartet, with whom she attended the International Musicians Seminar Prussia Cove, working closely with the Endellion Quartet’s David Waterman. They were finalists in both the Bloch and St Martin’s Chamber Music competitions and were part of the prestigious Chamber Studio Scheme at Kings Place, as well as being Park Lane Group Young Artists.

Elise has performed with many orchestras throughout the whole of the UK, including the Manchester Camerata, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Novello Orchestra and Covent Garden Soloists. She is also in demand as a session musician and has toured with numerous artists including Michael Bublé and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Elise has also played in the 'Annie' and 'Joseph' UK tours and in 'The Wizard of Oz' in London’s West End.

Elise plays a W. E. Hill violin from 1897.

KIRSTEN JENSON

Cello

A recipient of numerous prizes and awards, Kirsten made her solo debut playing the Schumann Cello Concerto with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra while studying with renowned soloist and pedagogue Johannes Goritzki. After finishing her studies in Switzerland, she joined the Ragazze Quartet in Holland, with whom she featured in Dutch Vogue and Harpers Bazaar, released albums under the label Channel Classics and performed regularly on live TV, radio, and at major venues including the Royal Concertgebouw.

Since returning to the UK, Kirsten was awarded Best British Cellist at the 2016 International Music Competition Grand Prize Virtuoso and has guested with numerous ensembles including the historic Allegri Quartet and the Primrose Piano Quartet, and regularly performs as a duo with celebrated pianist John Thwaites. She has taken part in international concert series and festivals throughout Europe, Indonesia, Japan and the US, including IMS Prussia Cove, the Piatigorsky International Cello Festival, Rottweil Sommersprossen and Hatfield House Chamber Music Festival. Kirsten has collaborated with, amongst many others, JP Jofre, Jörg Widmann, Adam Walker, and Madeleine Mitchell. Kirsten is a member of the United Strings of Europe, with whom she has performed internationally including at Victoria Hall Geneva and the Wigmore Hall.

SOPHIE LOCKETT

Violin

Chamber music has been at the core of Sophie’s fascination with music since she was a child and it will always be an integral piece in her life. As a teenager Sophie lead the Mimosa Quartet, later the Cavell Quartet, and now the Holywell Quartet, and has been the violinist in the internationally renowned Barbican Piano Trio since 2009. Sophie leads a busy freelance career working with orchestras including the London Chamber Orchestra, London Contemporary Orchestra, and invited Guest Principal Second for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia and Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. Sophie is the leader of Albert’s Orchestra, the Royal Albert Hall’s in house orchestra, and their educational ensemble, Albert’s Band. A passionate teacher of her craft, Sophie teaches the violin and chamber music privately and also at both the Royal Academy of Music Junior Department and Eton College. In 2017 Sophie was awarded the accolade of Honorary Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.

HARU USHIGUSA

Violin

Already the recipient of numerous prizes, Haru moved from Tokyo to London to complete her studies at the Royal Academy of Music under a scholarship kindly provided by the Rohm Music Foundation.
Since graduating with the highest honours, Haru has continued to compete and perform as a soloist and chamber musician world-wide. Awards include the prestigious Waterhouse Prize and the coveted Richard Carne Fellowship at Trinity Laban as a founding member of the Dulcinea Quartet.
Haru is particularly passionate about discovering new and lesser-known works, and is an active member of Anima, a chamber ensemble playing live contemporary music alongside animated films.
Haru is the mastermind behind much of our education work, in particular our themed Kids Concerts. She has an extensive background in working with students of all ages, and her patience, kindness and grace has made her one of the most sought-after teachers of our generation.

JENNY SACHA

Violin

Jenny studied with Soloist Maurice Hasson at the Royal Academy of Music and Michelle Auclair at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. She completed her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, which then followed with a chamber music Fellowship at the Royal Academy in the award winning Pavao Quartet.

Her quartet recital schedule has taken her worldwide, performing in all of Britain's most prestigious concert venues, London’s Wigmore hall, Purcell room, The Festival Hall, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, Gateshead’s Sage, and Glasgow’s Royal Concert hall to name a few. International performances have taken her to the US, Israel, China, Thailand, and a whole host of European cities.

Her recording work with the quartet on works by English Composers Elgar and Bax welcomed quotes of “ an intoxicating warmth and emotional spontaneity” (The Strad magazine), and “an ensemble of real depth and musical distinction” (Classic FM magazine).