Juna Quartet

Violin – Rachel Stonham

Violin – Nina Doig

Viola – Estelle Gonzalez

Cello – Elena Edwards

The Juna Quartet are a Manchester based ensemble currently in their second year of study at the Royal Northern College of Music. Since forming in 2022, they have been quick to establish themselves, winning the Hirsch Prize 2023 with their performance of Beethoven’s Opus 18 No.1, which has given them the opportunity to play in the Christopher Roland Prize at the end of this year as well as making it to the final round of the Weill Prize in their first year playing Britten and Haydn. The group are lucky to receive coaching from the Elias quartet who they performed alongside in a concert of the Britten string quartets last year. They chose the name ‘Juna’ for its multitude of meanings (eg. courage, gentleness, and woodland) in various languages, and to appreciate the word as a woman’s name. On the 18th of April 2024 they were fortunate to be able to perform Felix Mendelssohn’s String Quartet Opus 12 in E-Flat Major in a Spotlight Concert at RNCM, as part of the Mendelssohn Cycle with the Elias Quartet. In December they played a Christmas concert at the bookshop House of Books and Friends and in February they played a lunchtime concert at the Whitworth Art Gallery where they performed quartets by Beethoven and Mendelssohn. Shortly before the Wye Valley Summer Residency in 2024, Rachel Stonham joined as first violin, replacing Yunyi Lin.

Audience members often comment on the bubbly dynamic of the ensemble, and the friendship that shines through their music making. Recent performances have confirmed their excitement for their repertoire and ensemble, and they can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Rachel Stonham, first violin

Nina Doig, second violin

Nina Doig is a 20-year-old violinist studying at the Royal Northern College of Music with Leland Chen; she began violin lessons at the age of six after being inspired in a concert by the RSNO. In 2017, she gained a place in the Juniors course at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and soon after, auditioned for a place in the Music School of Douglas Academy, where she continued her musical education with tutelage from Fiona Osborne. Nina has enjoyed taking part in orchestral and chamber music at the RNCM so far and is looking forward to projects in the future.

Estelle Gonzales, viola

Estelle Gonzalez is a second-year undergraduate violist at the Royal Northern College of Music, who grew up in Lewisham, South-East London. Her musical journey began at the age of six on the violin, later adding the viola at the age of 12 before transitioning to a full-time viola player a year before enrolling at RNCM. Estelle is currently studying under Lucy Nolan, a member of the esteemed Elbana String Trio, and has participated in masterclasses with Robin Ireland and Hartmut Rhode. She was the recipient of the Dora Zafransky-Kastner Prize for String-Player and the Vivian Joseph Prize for String Quartet in July 2021 at her previous institution, Junior Trinity Laban Conservatoire for Music and Dance. Estelle is a dedicated chamber and orchestral musician.

Elena Edwards, cello

Elena Edwards is a 20-year-old cellist from Greater Manchester in her second year of study at the Royal Northern College of Music. She has been studying with her current teacher, Jennifer Langridge, for four years and they met when Elena was a pupil at Chetham’s School of Music. Next year she will start lessons with a new teacher, likely Jacob Shaw or Edvard Pogossian. In 2022 she joined the RNCM with a scholarship made possible thanks to the Jellis Bequest and in 2023 she was fortunate to win the Amy Lindley prize for cello. At Chetham’s she was awarded the Senior Orchestra String Prize.