Lara Caister – violin
Lara was born into a musical family in Surrey in 1997 and started violin lessons aged 7. Later, she studied at Junior Guildhall where she performed Bach’s concerto for two violins. Her string quartet reached the semi-finals of ‘Pro Corda’ chamber music competition and performed at St. Martins in the Fields. She played at the Barbican with the ‘East –West Orchestra, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Youth Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.
At 16, she won a scholarship to The Purcell School for Young Musicians and performed with the school orchestra at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. She currently studies violin at the Royal Northern College of Music with Alexander Sitkovetsky. She has also performed in master classes for Nicola Benedetti.
At 15, Lara won first prize in her first international competition, the under 16 section of the London International Music Competition.
Lara has since won various concerto competitions and titles including Kingston Young Musician, Richmond Young Instrumentalist and Farnham Young Musician - leading to various solo opportunities including a performance in Farnham, recitals with acclaimed pianist Alison Rhind and performances of ‘Bruch’s violin concerto’ with Richmond Orchestra and with Sutton Symphony Orchestra in 2015.
Lara won the ‘Orchestra’s Choice Award, in the Marlowe Young Musician of the Year 2015, for her performance of ‘Dvorak’s Violin Concerto’ (1st movt) with the Kent Concert Orchestra at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury (she was interviewed by Classic FM presenter, Jane Jones). She was subsequently invited to give a solo recital at the Deal Festival of Music.
In 2016, she won the under-19 section of the Brighton Philharmonic’s ‘Springboard Concerto Competition’ -performing the 1st movement of ‘Barber’s Violin Concerto’.
Lara was awarded a bursary to attend ‘Musique Cordiale 2015 International Music Festival and Academy’ in Provence, France. She led a performance of ‘Vivaldi’s Concerto for four violins’ with Isabel Flory and Nicolas Risler, founder members of the Arpeggione String Quartet. Lara was invited back to the academy in 2016, where she performed chamber music with Levon Chilingirian. She also gave a public performance of ‘Glazunov’s Violin Concerto’ (with piano).
Lara has performed solos in St. Stevens’s Cathedral and at Schonbrun Palace in Vienna, as well as in Barcelona, Mantua, Padua, Paris, Venice and Verona,
Outside music, Lara was selected twice to represent her previous school (St. Teresa’s, Effingham) in the Pentathlon GB Biathlon Championships when she was 14.
Lara plays on an 18th century Italian violin made by Lorenzo Ventepane.
