Music in Dumfries presents: Isla String Quartet

Isla String QuartetMio Takahashi violin
Kynan Walker violin
Sofa Gmez Alberto viola
Danushka Edirisinghe celloThe Isla String Quartet gained international recognition when they won First Prize, the Audience Prize, and a Special Prize for the best interpretation of a Haydn Quartet at the 2nd International String Quartet Competition in Bad Tlz in April 2026. As Tillett Debut Artists 2025-27, the Isla String Quartet are performing in venues across the UK including Conway Hall, Kings Place and Hexham Abbey. They were recently selected for the Tunnell Trust Music Club Award Scheme and are looking forward to their Scotland concert tour in 2027. Other competition success includes First Prize at both the Royal College of Music Quartet Competition 2025 and the inaugural Royal Academy of Music Nina Drucker Haydn String Quartet Competition 2024.Notable collaborations include performing Mozarts B-flat major String Quintet with renowned violist and composer Brett Dean at the Calne Music and Arts Festival 2024, and Brahms Piano Quintet with Ryan Wigglesworth at Smith Square Hall. As Britten Pears Young Artists 2023-24, they gave a lunchtime recital at Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall at the end of their Chamber Music Residency, receiving coaching from Alasdair Beatson. They gave the European premier of Paola Prestinis The Red Book at the Virtuoso&Belcanto Festival 2025.The Isla String Quartet formed at the Royal Academy of Music, and are grateful for the continued mentorship and guidance from John Myerscough (Doric String Quartet), and Bryony Gibson-Cornish and Sined OHalloran (Marmen Quartet). They have also had coaching with chamber music specialists such as Hlne Clement, Ying Xue, Lawrence Power and the bne Quartet, and have attended festivals including Virtuoso & Belcanto and Schiermonnikoog, learning with Heime Mller, Luc-Marie Aguerra, Adrian Brendel and Marc Danel.Mio Takahashi is a Japanese violinist who moved to London at the age of 3. A passionate chamber musician, she has performed chamber works at venues including Sinfonia Smith Square, Hatfield House (Chamber Music Festival 2023), Conway Hall, and Dorchester Abbey, alongside renowned musicians including Brett Dean, Adrian Brendel, Carducci Quartet, Clio Gould, Guy Johnston, Magnus Johnston, Ryan Wigglesworth, and Roger Vignoles. She was also invited to the Mendelssohn on Mull Chamber Music Festival 2023 where she collaborated with the Doric String Quartet and Alexi Kenney at venues across the Isle of Mull. Mio is currently on the London Philharmonic Orchestra Foyle Future Firsts Programme 2025. She was also on the London Symphony Orchestra String Experience Scheme 2022-23, and was a member of the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra 2023 and 2024. Mio recently graduated her masters degree with distinction at the Royal Academy of Music under Professor Philippe Honor, after also completing her Bachelor of Music there with first-class honours.Kynan Walker is a British-Japanese violinist currently pursuing a Masters in Performance at the Royal College of Music (RCM), studying with Emily Sun as an RCM Scholar. Kynan was most recently awarded a place onto the London Symphony Orchestras String Experience Scheme 2024-2025, and has enjoyed returning to playing with the LSO as a violin tutti extra player on occasion. Other recent performances have included appearing as soloist alongside the Orion Orchestra, RCM Wind Orchestra, and performing Ravels Introduction and Allegro as part of the RCM Strings Showcase at Wigmore Hall. Kynan has received masterclasses from Tasmin Little, Daniel Hope, Henning Kraggerud, Daniel Strabawa on solo repertoire, as well as masterclasses from various members of the Doric Quartet, Alasdair Beatson, Isabel Charisius with his quartet. Kynan is grateful to be playing on a Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume violin on generous loan from the Royal College of Music. His studies at the Royal College of Music are kindly supported by the Dr Susan Lim Scholarship.Sofa Gmez Alberto is a Spanish violinist and violist based in London. She recently completed her Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music, where she studied in the class of Itzhak Rashkovsky and Bryony Gibson-Cornish as a Gladys Hay Scholar, after completing her masters and bachelors there. Sofa is the violist of the Isla String Quartet, and she is also a founding member of the Iridescence Ensemble, a flexible ensemble dedicated to bringing 20th and 21st century chamber music to a wider audience. Sofa was recently awarded the Tagore Gold Medal at the 2025 RCM Graduation Ceremony. Other prizes and awards include the 3rd Prize at the 2023 Llanes International Viola Competition and the Viola Prize at the 2022 RCM Viola Competition. Sofas viola teachers have included Nathan Braude and Yuri Zhislin. She has also taken part in festivals such as the Keshet Eilon Mastercourse 2024 and IMS Prussia Cove 2025. Sofa is grateful to have received support from the Antonio Brosa Award, ABRSM Queens Platinum Jubilee Award, St Marylebone Educational Foundation, Albert Cooper Music Charitable Trust, AIE and FIDAH Foundation towards her studies.Danushka Edirisinghe is a Postgraduate student studying with Hannah Roberts at the Royal Academy of Music where he also completed his bachelors. During his studies, he has won several prestigious awards, including the May Mukle/Douglas Cameron Cello Prize, the Strings and Piano Duo Prize, the David Martin/Florence Hooton Concerto Prize and graduated receiving the Sir John Barbirolli Memorial Prize. In 2022, he was awarded first prize at the Haslemere International String Competition, leading to a performance of Haydns Cello Concerto in D major with the London Mozart Players. In 2025 he also had the opportunity to perform as a soloist in Sollimas Violoncelles, Vibrez! with the Britten Sinfonia in the Barbican Hall. As a freelance orchestral musician, Danushka has performed with renowned ensembles such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia of London, and Royal Northern Sinfonia and he has toured with orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra and Britten Sinfonia.PROGRAMME
Haydn String Quartet )p 76 No 4 in B flat,
Schumann String Quartet No 3 in A major Op 41,
Jessie Montgomery Strum,
Ravel String Quartet in F major