Who we are
Since their formation at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) in 2021, the Aestus Quartet have been recognised for their warmth and sensitive musical approach. The name “Aestus” is Latin for sea tide and is inspired by the opening of Benjamin Britten’s String Quartet No. 2 - the first piece the group performed together.
They are recipients of the John Lawrence Field award, RNCM Weil Prize, they were shortlisted for the 2024 RPS — Royal Philharmonic Society Henderson Chamber Ensemble Award, and they were selected as semi-finalists for the 2025 Royal Over-Seas League competition. They have previously been finalists in the Christopher Rowland Ensemble of the Year, Hirsch and Nossek Prizes. They are currently studying with Quatuor Ébène violinist Gabriel Le Magadure, on a monthly basis, at the Conservatoire Rachmaninoff in Paris.
In 2025 the Aestus performed at the Aldeburgh Festival in a masterclass with the Doric String Quartet. They also featured as the inaugural Ambassador ensemble for Lake District Music Festival and made appearances at King's Lynn Festival and Clitheroe Concert Society. In autumn 2025, through ChamberStudio, they completed a mentorship with Krysia Osostowicz including a masterclass at Kings Place (London) and they took part in a residency with Krysia Osostowicz and Donald Grant, culminating in a concert at Lavethan (Cornwall). In the upcoming seasons the Aestus will feature at Bollington Chamber Concerts, Chorlton Arts Festival (Manchester), Blackburn Concert Society, Norwich Chapel Concerts, and Music at Wesley. In July 2026 they look forward to performing for Buxton International Festival in Pauline Viardot’s chamber opera ‘Le dernier sorcier’ scored for string quartet, piano, harp, and percussion.
In the 2023-2024 season the Aestus were the RNCM Studio Quartet and Britten Pears Young Artists. They gave the closing performance of the 2024 Royal Philharmonic Society Awards in collaboration with Instrumentalist of the Year winner, Jasdeep Singh Degun and tabla player Harkiret Singh Bahra. They also performed at Festival Ravel (France), Pergolesi Spontini Festival (Italy), Stoller Hall for Manchester Chamber Concerts Society, Britten Studio (Snape Maltings), Oxford Chamber Music Festival, and Winchester Chamber Music Festival, among others.
The Aestus share a core ethos for forging connections on a human level. Through their vast experience working with children, young adults, and people with disabilities (including special educational needs and dementia) they are inspired to create a welcoming environment for all. The group enjoy developing and delivering interactive presentations in educational settings and have worked in primary, secondary, and care environments. This work has been carried out independently as well as in conjunction with organisations such as Lake District Music Festival, Winchester Chamber Music Festival, and Festival Ravel. They are developing a new approach to typical concert formats with an aim to encourage new creativity and to ensure everyone can be involved. Their creative programming involves designing narratives that are illustrated with classical, contemporary, and folk music. They aim to amplify previously unheard voices and hope everyone will be able to see a bit of themselves in the stories they tell.
The diversity and depth of each member's individual experiences shape their approach and identity as an ensemble. Leda is Italian, a Dalcroze Eurhythmics practitioner and advocate, and was one of five selected Manchester Camerata Ruth Sutton Fellows for 2024-2025. She is also a Trustee and Environmental Champion for Lake District Music. Chris is British, enjoys freelancing with many of Manchester's professional orchestras and was enrolled in the Hallé Advanced Orchestral Strings Programme 2024-2025. He has represented Great Britain internationally at Kata championships, as well as sitting Principal Tuba of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain, and Solo Eb of championship brass band, Redbridge Brass. Beth is British and has vast teaching experience with RNCM Young Strings and the Music in Secondary Schools Trust in Manchester, she is formally trained in classical ballet, and enjoys freelancing with many professional orchestras across the UK. Alec grew up in Leicester, in the East Midlands of England and has travelled internationally as a chamber and orchestral musician, performing with groups such as Welsh National Opera and London Concertante. Outside of music Alec enjoys skateboarding and walking his dog Rolo (who also happens to be the quartet mascot).
