The quartet is comprised of graduates from the Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music and Oxford University.

They have recently worked with young composers Camilo Mendez San Juan, Rachel Lockwood (premier of String Quartet no. 2 at Wakefield Live Music Project event) and Gabriel Prokofiev, and have a special interest in experimental music and partnerships with other art forms.

In 2010, the Ligeti Quartet performed free improvisations inspired by the paintings of Kenji Yoshida at the October Gallery as part of the Museums at Night series.

2010 also saw the quartet collaborate with Ensemble BPM in a production of Steve Reich's multimedia opera, Three Tales, performed at the Tête à Tête Opera Festival.

More recently they have worked with composer Paul Barker in two performance pieces, Sigrún's Fire (Central School of Speech and Drama) and El Gallo (Brighton Festival) with the Teatro de Ciertos Habitantes and the Hillman Quartet.

In July 2011 the Quartet were the resident ensemble supporting Sir Peter Maxwell Davies for his composition course at Benslow Music.

The quartet has received coaching from The Chilingirian Quartet, thanks to a donation from the Friends of the West Dean College and was able to receive masterclass coaching from ChamberStudio, with the support of the Richard Carne Trust.

The Ligeti will perform at a YLMP event in 2012 following their July performance at The Orangery, Wakefield.

For further information about the YLMP Featured Artist Scheme email:

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Ligeti String Quartet............................................

Ligeti Quartet

Violinist Mandhira de Saram was born in London. Mandhira graduated with first class honours from the University of Oxford with a high first in performance and was the winner of the Worcester College Arts Prize for the highest result in an arts subject. She has performed in Hong Kong, China and Japan as a Crystal Cruises Headline Artist, and has performed on Fred Olsen Cruises and the Queen Elizabeth II. Mandhira has toured in her country of origin, Sri Lanka, and in the United States of America. As a backing artist, Mandhira has appeared with various artists such as Westlife.

Violinist Patrick Dawkins read Music at the University of Oxford, and in 2010 completed an MA in performance at the Royal Academy of Music. At the Academy he took an interest in chamber music, contemporary music, and historical performance. As a member of the Grove String Quartet, he received coaching from members of the Alberni, Badke, Endellion, Kreutzer, Škampa and Vanbrugh quartets. He played with groups such as the Manson Ensemble and the Period Instrument Baroque Orchestra.

Viola player Richard Jones is currently completing his Masters Degree at the Royal College of Music. He previously studied at York University where he graduated with First Class Honours and was awarded the David Blake prize. Richard has given many performances around the UK and abroad, at venues such as Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Cadogan Hall, Conway Hall, the National Portrait Gallery and also at Exit Festival in Serbia. In demand as a backing artist, Richard has made numerous appearances with the singer Duffy, Richard Ashcroft and various artists on the X Factor and Britain's got Talent.

Canadian cellist Valerie Welbanks is an active chamber musician, appearing regularly with the Marsyas Trio and playing in several chamber operas each year as part of the Dionysus Ensemble. Valerie collaborates regularly with Bulgarian dramaturge Miryana Dimitrova. Valerie has appeared on the Saga Ruby Ship, has performed as a recitalist in Canada, South Africa and the UK and has performed concertos with orchestras in Quebec. Valerie completed a Masters in Music Performance in 2008 at the Royal Academy of Music in London, graduating with distinction. She is currently in the PhD course at Goldsmiths College.

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