Beth Willett - Viola

Beth Willett, viola

United Kingdom

Beth is an enthusiastic chamber musician, most notably as the Violist in the Aestus and Innsӕi String Quartets. With these ensembles Beth has participated in prestigious international festivals, and has been prize-winner or finalist in several competitions. Alongside chamber music Beth is also a passionate orchestral musician who has performed with the UK’s leading orchestras, including the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, the Northern Chamber Orchestra, Manchester Collective, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Beth is looking forward to completing the much sought after Glyndebourne ‘Jerwood Pit Perfect’ scheme in October 2025 where she will participate in a full run of Puccini’s ‘La Boheme’ as part of the Glyndebourne Sinfonia. Beth is also currently on trial for the position of Tutti viola with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. 

Beth is committed to improving access to classical music and spent a year working with the Music in Secondary Schools Trust (MiSST), which brings free music tuition and musical instruments to secondary schools in areas that are considered to be socially and/or economically underserved. Beth also works with the Royal Northern College of Music’s Young Strings programme to deliver music tuition to young children aged 6-12. Beth particularly values this work for its creative approach to music tuition using the Dalcroze and Kodaly methods.

Beth completed both her postgraduate (2022) and undergraduate (2020) studies at the Royal Northern College of Music under the guidance of Vicci Wardman and Susie Mészáros, receiving a first-class result in both degrees. During her postgraduate studies Beth was generously supported by the Stephen Bell Charitable Trust and the Albert Cooper Music Trust, and received a generous scholarship from the RNCM. Beth’s subsequent work with the Aestus Quartet has been supported by the Help Musicians UK: Next Generations Fund.

Beth plays on a 2004 viola made by Kai-Thomas Roth.