The Daphne Trio
The Daphne Trio was formed by award-winning students and alumni of the Royal College of Music in London. The trio have performed to great acclaim across the UK, recent highlights including performances at St John's Smith Square and the Austrian Cultural Forum, and have been recognised for their thoughtful, intriguing and carefully curated programmes.
Violinist Vera Beumer is currently studying for her postgraduate degree at the Royal College of Music supported by RCM Scholarships and Prins Bernhard Foundation.
Playing chamber music from a young age, she was coached by members of the Pavel Haas, Borodin, Jerusalem and Emerson quartets for several years. In 2020 her quartet won the RCM String quartet competition. Since 2021, she participates in IMS Prussia Cove every year.
She was leader of the Netherlands Youth String Orchestra (2016-2018) and has lead the RCM Symphony Orchestra on several occasions. For two years, she was a member of the EUYO. She was first violin for the English National Opera Evolve Scheme (2022-2023) and is currently part of the London Philharmonic Orchestra Foyle Future First Scheme. Vera is also on trial with the LPO for the position of sub-principal 2nd violin.
Anna Crawford is a postgraduate cellist at the Royal College of Music, supported by the Victor and Lilian Hochhauser Scholarship, a Countess of Munster Musical Trust Derek Butler Award and a St James’s Piccadilly Instrumental Scholarship.
Anna won first prize in the 2019 and 2022 RCM Cello Competition, was a prize winner at the Gustav Mahler International Cello Competition and was a highly commended semi- finalist at the Tunbridge Wells International Competition.
Recent performances include Ina Boyle’s ‘Elegy’ for solo cello and orchestra with the RCM Philharmonic and Jac Van Steen, and Haydn’s C Major Cello Concerto with the London Mozart Players as part of their ‘Cello-Fest.’
Anna has performed in festivals around Europe with EUYO and LGT Young Soloists and is currently on trial with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.
Ana Manastireanu is an increasingly sought-after collaborative pianist, specialising in song accompaniment and chamber music.
She has won multiple awards, including Accompanist Prizes in the AESS Patricia Routledge National English Song Competition, the Maureen Lehane Vocal Awards and in all the RCM Vocal Competitions.
Ana was a Scholar of the International Summer Academy for Chamber Music Niedersachsen and a Fellow of the Toronto Chamber Music Institute.
Recent performances include collaborations with tenor Mark Padmore CBE and baritone Roderick Williams OBE, as well as appearances on BBC Radio 3 - In Tune and in the Aldeburgh Festival, Oxford Lieder Festival, North Norfolk Music Festival, Brighton Festival, Lewes Festival of Song and Leeds Lieder Festival.
Ana has recently graduated with an Artist Diploma in Collaborative Piano from the Royal College of Music, where she studied with Kathron Sturrock, Simon Lepper, Roger Vignoles, Niel Immelman and Leon McCawley.