Leda Mileto - Violin I

Leda Mileto -Violin I

Italy

Leda Mileto (2000) was born in Rome, Italy and has been based in Manchester since 2021. 

Having encountered the violin at the age of ten after having been initiated to music through the Dalcroze approach, she was taught according to the principles of the twentieth century Italian school. Her early mentors include one of its most illustrious exponents Felice Cusano, whom she learnt with privately and at Fiesole (Florence, Italy) School of Music, and Edoardo Zosi. 

In 2020, Leda was accepted into Yair Kless’s class at the RNCM – Royal Northern College of Music for her Masters, with support from the Charles Greenough Award. As a student of Prof. Kless at the RNCM, Leda obtained her Master’s degree (2022) and later a Postgraduate Diploma (2023), which she was admitted to with a prize scholarship, both with Distinction, while also learning privately with David Takeno in London from 2022 to 2024. 

Some recent highlights for Leda include 2023 Stauffer Academy (Cremona, Italy) Summer Festival performance with Abel Selaocoe, where she led the string ensemble, and 2024 “Tradition and Improvisation” concert at Stauffer Academy, where she performed a duet with Viktoria Mullova and in a string ensemble with Matthew Barley. In 2025, Leda recorded the prémiere of a violin and piano version of Ailsa Dixon’s composition “I will lift up mine eyes”, performed for the launch of Lake District Music Festival (LDMF), and led the inaugural LDMF Academy ensemble. Leda is a Trustee and Environmental Champion for Lake District Music. 

Passionate about education through movement, Leda teaches violin, rhythmics, singing, and improvisation at the Junior department of the RNCM according to Dalcroze principles. Leda also taught Dalcroze Eurhythmics on the 2025 New Virtuosi residential violin course in Oxford. She has been training towards the Dalcroze Professional Certificate with Dalcroze UK. 

Leda was part of the 2024/2025 cohort of Ruth Sutton Fellows of Manchester Camerata, which entailed a number of performances and outreach as well as learning with Caroline Pether, her current teacher. She was also shortlisted for the 2025 Craxton Memorial Trust Awards. 

Leda plays a Johannes Cuypers violin of the year 1797 on generous loan from the Harrison Frank Family Foundation, with her Edwin Clement bow.