Violinist Jessica Coleman was born in Aberdeen and is currently studying at the Royal College of Music with professor Gaby Lester, supported by the Hilda and Douglas Simmons Award. She began learning the violin aged four, and went on to study at Chetham’s School of Music. Before moving to London, Jessica spent six months in Oslo at the Barratt-Due Musikkinstitutt, where she received lessons from Stephan Barratt-Due and performed with Oslo Camerata under violinist, Henning Kraggerud. Jessica won the Edinburgh Festival Concerto Competition in 2011, performing Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole with the Festival Orchestra. Since then, she has gone on to perform numerous concertos around the UK, notably Bruch’s Violin Concerto with the National Children’s Orchestra of Scotland in The Perth Concert Hall. Jessica has presented solo recitals across the UK, including the inaugural concert of the recital series at Leith Hill Place, the family home of Ralph Vaughan Williams. She also performs regularly as a chamber musician and is a founding member of the Vasara Quartet; the group received First Prize at the Britten Intercollegiate String Quartet Competition 2013 and have gone on to perform in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall, Kings Place, Conway Hall and Cadogan Hall. They were also recently invited to perform at the residence of the British Ambassador in Paris. Jessica has played with many orchestras including the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, culminating in performances at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC Proms Festival, with conductors Donald Runnicles and Vasily Petrenko. Other orchestral highlights include leading the Chetham’s Symphony Orchestra, the National Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Scotland, and performing on tours across the UK, Norway, Italy and China. Whilst in Norway, Jessica performed at the Bergen Music Festival, as part of a collaboration with the El Sistema Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra. At the RCM, Jessica enjoys working with renowned conductors such as Roger Norrington and Vladmir Ashkenazy, and performing in venues including The Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre. Jessica is thrilled to be playing on a 19th Centruy Italian violin which is currently on loan to her from the Royal College of Music.