Artists 2025

Founder of the NOVA Festival and Cellist; Studied at Chetham's School of Music, and the Guildhall School with Louise Hopkins. Winner of various prizes including the St James Award. Recent highlights include performing at Opera Holland Park with Quartet Concrète, performing sextets with the Brodsky Quartet, as well as Festival appearances at Montreux Jazz, Nantwen, and Music on the Moor.

Leon started playing the violin aged 7. At 16 he began studying at the Junior Royal Academy of Music, and later studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Stephanie Gonley. He was leader of LSSO for two years, and made his solo debut with them in the Barbican Centre in 2021. His recent highlights include playing and recording with the Britten Sinfonia at Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh, performing with Heritage Orchestra, and presenting recital programmes across the UK.

First Formed in September 2020, the Aquilae Quartet brings together a group of musicians with Polish, Scottish and Cornish backgrounds, all former students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.