​Laura Rickard

British violinist Laura Rickard studied at St John’s College, Cambridge and the Royal Academy of Music and now enjoys an active performing career as a soloist and chamber musician.  She has recently performed concertos by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Elgar, and Sibelius and she gave her international debut with the Michoacan State Symphony Orchestra. Recent highlights include performing as a soloist at Royal Festival Hall, the Purcell Room and giving the world premiere of Robert Peate’s Concerto for Violin and Double Orchestra.  As a founding member of the Mila Piano Trio, Laura has performed at major venues around the UK and further afield. Recent successes include winning first prize at Verao Classico, reaching the finals of the St. Martin-in-the-Fields competition and performing at St. John’s Smith Square. In demand as a chamber musician and orchestral principal, Laura is regularly invited to play at festivals including Winchester, Montesinho, San Miguel de Allende, Atlantic (USA) and Presteigne. Laura has a keen interest in historical performance, she studied baroque violin with Nicolette Moonen and she regularly performed with the Academy Baroque Soloists, including on a tour with the Juilliard School and Rachel Podger. More recently Laura has toured Europe and Asia with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment.  ​Laura is the Artistic Director of the Romsey Chamber Music Festival, an annual festival which brings international artists to her home town, provides a busy education programme which has reached over 2000 children in Hampshire, and commissions young emerging composers. Laura is especially grateful to Arts Council England which has enabled RCMF to continue working throughout the pandemic. Laura completed her Professional Diploma at the Royal Academy of Music in 2020 which was generously funded by the Academy and the Craxton Memorial Trust and was awarded a DipRAM for an outstanding final recital. She has recently been appointed as the Meaker Fellow in Violin at the Academy.   When Laura isn't playing the violin she is probably talking about the violin, but she is occasionally found baking cakes.!