Laços Quartet
Ensemble:
Sofya Vardanyan, violin
Born in 1999 in Yerevan into a family of musicians, Sofya began playing the violin at seven. She studied at the Yerevan Tchaikovsky School of Music for gifted children under Prof. Alexander Kosemyan (2007–2014), and under Prof. Artashes Mkrtchyan until 2017. Sofya participated in various recitals and festivals in Armenia, including the International ‘New Names’ Festival in 2012 and the International Moritzburg Music Festival in 2016, where she collaborated with renowned cellist Jan Vogler. Continuing her studies at Detmold Musik Hochschule in Germany under Prof. Maria-Elisabeth Lott from 2017–2022, Sofya performed in symphonic and chamber concerts. In 2020, she co-founded the string quartet IDEA, earning acclaim at the ‘Wege durch das Land’ Festival. Sofya graduated from Detmold Hochschule in January 2022 and is now pursuing her Master’s Degree at the University of Music and Arts Vienna under Prof. Pavel Vernikov and Prof. Boris Rovtsyn. She participated in the Blaricum Music Festival in July 2023 and was selected for the Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Music Workshop in Shelter Island, NY, USA, from 25 May to 16 June 2024.
Elias Vieira, viola
Elias Vieira began his viola studies at the age of seven in his native São Paulo, Brazil. At the age of fifteen, he became the youngest viola student at the University of Music and Arts Vienna in the class of Prof. Jennifer Stumm, with whom he still currently studies. Since 2022, Elias has regularly participated in the Perlman Music Program in the United States, working with renowned teachers such as Merry Peckham, Itzhak Perlman and Carol Rodland. He has also received guidance from Nobuko Imai and Thomas Riebl. In 2024, Elias will perform at the Edinburgh Festival, Kronberg Festival, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw as part of the Brazilian ensemble Ilumina, as well as playing chamber music at the Musikverein in Vienna.
He plays on a viola by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume, made in Paris in 1852, generously loaned by Merito String Instruments Trust.
Edward Walton, violin
Edward is seventeen years old and was awarded second prize in the junior division of the 2021 Menuhin International Violin Competition. He recently made his debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, performing Bruch’s Violin Concerto, was selected as a Young Artist in the Verbier Festival Academy and was awarded the EMF Young Artist Pirastro Award. Edward has appeared with orchestras and performed recitals across the globe. He was a top prize winner in various competitions in Australia, France, Italy, the UK and the US. He plays a Gennaro Gagliano violin generously on loan through the Beare’s International Violin Society.
Lucija Pejković, Cello
Lucija Pejković graduated Summa cum Laude from the Music Academy in Zagreb under professors Valter Dešpalj and Branimir Pustički. She excelled in international competitions, winning first prize at the Petar Konjović Competition in Belgrade and a special prize at the Virtuoso e Belcanto Festival in Italy. Lucija has performed at renowned festivals including the Gstaad Menuhin Festival and Music Biennale Zagreb, and gained orchestral experience with the European Union Youth Orchestra and alongside the Zagreb Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, and Vienna Symphony in Side-by-Side programs. As a chamber musician, she has appeared at prestigious venues like the Vienna Musikverein and collaborated with leading artists such as Kirill Petrenko, Jaap van Zweden, and Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Besides her musical achievements, Lucija holds a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literature.