LAURA RICKARD
Violinist
ABOUT
Acclaimed British violinist Laura Rickard is crafting a multifaceted international career as a highly sought-after chamber musician and soloist, festival director, and passionate teacher. In demand as a concerto soloist, she regularly appears with orchestras across the UK, with recent performances at Royal Festival Hall and the Purcell Room. She has been featured on BBC Radio 3, Classic FM, and NBC, and was also recently elected as an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music in recognition of her remarkable contributions to the field.
As a founding member of the Mila Piano Trio, Laura has performed on many of the world’s renowned stages. Recent successes include winning first prize at Verao Classico, debuts at St Martin-in-the-Fields and St. John's Smith Square, and appearing at many of the UK's leading festivals. As a chamber musician and orchestral principal, Laura is regularly invited to play at festivals including Winchester, Montesinho (Portugal), San Miguel de Allende (Mexico), Atlantic (USA) and Presteigne.
A keen proponent of contemporary music, Laura has commissioned and premiered works by some of the leading composers of her generation. Recent premieres include Robert Peate’s Concerto for Violin and Double Orchestra and Cydonie Banting’s Alpha for solo violin.
Laura is the founder and Artistic Director of the Romsey Chamber Music Festival, one of the UK’s leading festivals of its kind, which brings world-class artists to her hometown each Spring, featuring an imaginatively curated and diverse programme of chamber music. Praised by Classical Source as "a little gem" and by Seen and Heard International as "remarkable", the festival’s activities continue throughout the year. It has an ambitious education programme which has reached over 3000 children in Hampshire which covers first access in primary schools, coaching young musicians, side-by-side projects and masterclasses. Other activities include regular residencies and concerts, and commissions of new works by composers. "The atmosphere of camaraderie and joie de vivre has characterized the festival since its inception in 2018" - The Hampshire Chronicle. For more information about RCMF please visit www.romseychambermusic.com
Laura studied at St John’s College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music, where her teachers included Erich Gruenberg, Remus Azoitei, Alex Redington. Her studies were generously funded by the Academy and the Craxton Memorial Trust, she was awarded a DipRAM for an outstanding final recital and the Doris Faulkner Prize for her studentship. She was then appointed as Meaker Fellow in Violin and now continues teaching violin and chamber music at the Academy and King’s College London.
CHAMBER MUSIC
MILA PIANO TRIO
The Mila Piano Trio is a UK-based ensemble who met whilst studying at the Royal Academy of Music in 2015. Recent performances have included debuts at St. John’s Smith Square and at St Martin-in-the-Fields, festivals including the Buxton International Festival, Islington Arts Festival and performances across the UK and Europe. The trio won first prize at Verao Classico in Lisbon and prizewinners in the Isaacs and Pirani Competition.
The Mila Piano Trio is also involved in educational work, recently working with Water City Music giving workshops and concerts to students in Southwark as well as working in schools in London, Cotswolds, Winchester and Romsey.
Graduates of The Royal Academy of Music, their chamber music tutors have included Amandine Savary, Levon Chilingirian, Michael Bochman and Felix Schmidt and have received masterclasses from Guy Johnston and Sun-Won Yang and Alasdair Beatson. The Mila Piano Trio studied at ChamberStudio at Kings Place where they were mentored by Adrian Brendel.
ROMSEY CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Described by Classical Source as a "little gem" and hailed by Seen and Heard International as "remarkable", Laura founded the Romsey Chamber Music Festival in 2018. RCMF brings together some of the world's leading chamber musicians in concerts featuring an imaginatively curated and diverse programme of chamber music. It has an ambitious education programme which has reached over 3000 children in Hampshire which covers first access in primary schools, coaching young musicians, side-by-side projects and masterclasses. Other activities include regular residencies and concerts, and commissions of new works by composers. "The atmosphere of camaraderie and joie de vivre has characterized the festival since its inception in 2018" - The Hampshire Chronicle. For more information about RCMF please visit www.romseychambermusic.com
TEACHING
Laura teaches at the Royal Academy of Music where she was appointed as Meaker Fellow at the in 2020 and King's College, London. She is regularly invited to give masterclasses around the world, at leading conservatoires, universities and schools. She has recently guest taught at the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford. Recent student successes include full entrance scholarships to conservatoires in the UK and USA, places in the National Youth and Children’s Orchestras as well as top marks in ABRSM exams.
In her approach to violin instruction, Laura Rickard emphasizes a personalized and empathetic connection with her students. By tailoring her teaching methods to each student's unique needs and learning style, Laura ensures that they develop not only technical proficiency but also a deep understanding and appreciation for music. Through patient guidance and constructive feedback, she inspires her students to overcome challenges and reach their full potential as musicians. Committed to instilling a lifelong passion for music, Laura strives to cultivate not just skilled performers, but also thoughtful, creative musicians who contribute meaningfully to the world of music. She holds the Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music (LRAM) with distinction for Violin Teaching.
For further information and teaching enquiries please use the Contact form below.