The concert will be held on 21 March at St Gabriel’s Pimlico in London, with all proceeds going towards the International Committee of the Red Cross

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Two students are organising a charity concert in London, to support aid provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for those affected by humanitarian crises worldwide.

Violinist Isabell Karlsson, a former leader of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain (NYOGB) and Nathan Wong previously organised a charity concert for the ICRC’s aid for Ukraine, following the outbreak of war, in March 2022. They involved young performers from junior conservatoires and raised over £4,000.

Karlsson is now a second-year violin student at the Royal College of Music and Wong is a student at University College of London. They have now organised another charity concert ‘Classic Relief: Launch’ which will take place on 21 March 2025, 7pm, at St Gabriel’s Pimlico in London.

’During this period of history when everything in the world is upended and there is turmoil everywhere, we believe that music is an important way to speak about what matters to us and a vessel to support people around the world who are going through great hardship,’ said Karlsson.

’In our last concert, we supported the Red Cross’ work for Ukraine, and we are continuing our partnership with the Red Cross’ work in aid for those affected by all conflict around the world. In our last concert in 2022, we raised over £4000, and we are hoping to raise a similar amount in our upcoming concert titled “Classic Relief: Launch”.’

The concert will feature numerous talented young string players. They include cellist Inez Karlsson, who won the Nordic Edition of the Polstjärnepriset in Sweden performing with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra; violinist Sofia Demetriades, whose prizes include second prize at Italy’s Andrea Postachinni International Violin Competition, and violist Jaren Ziegler, who won the strings final of the BBC Young Musician in 2022.

The players also include Peter Ryan, the current leader of the NYOGB in 2025 and violinist Kassia Yixuan Ren who won third prize in the 7th Mirecourt International Competition and the strings prize at Tunbridge Wells International Music Competition 2025. The Arete Trio and Mirari Quartet will also perform.

The programme will include works by a range of composers, from Lili Boulanger, Brahms, Franck, to contemporary composers Jessie Montgomerey and Dobrinka Tabakova.

Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/classic-relief-launch-tickets-1219825102719?aff=oddtdtcreator

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