The Drake Calleja Trust financially and artistically supports talented musicians studying across the UK. We award scholarships annually to classical solo instrumentalists and singers.
Since 2015 we have made 97 awards to outstanding young musicians from all over the world. As well as financial help we support our scholars with concert opportunities, and we are delighted to be at the 1901 Arts Club for the first time.
Latvian violinist Roberts Balanas made his solo debut at London’s Royal Festival Hall and Wigmore Hall in 2013 and has performed extensively across the UK, Europe and Asia ever since.
He has participated in numerous music festivals including the International Chamber Music Festival Stavanger, Aurora Chamber Music Festival, ProQuartet Festival and Halesworth Festival amongst others. His musical collaborations include eminent artists such as Semyon Bychkov, Sir Mark Elder, Edward Gardner and Marin Alsop.
Currently studying with Rodney Friend on the Master of Arts programme at the Royal Academy of Music in London, Balanas has been mentored by Leonidas Kavakos, Maxim Vengerov and Pinchas Zukerman. His studies are generously supported by The Countess of Munster Musical Trust, Tillett Trust, Albert Cooper Musical Trust, Colin Keer Trust and St Marylebone Educational Foundation.
He currently performs on a Jean Baptiste Vuillaume violin which has been kindly lent to him from the Royal Academy of Music collection.
Born in 1992, Chinese pianist Siqian Li started her musical education at the age of four. She studied with Madame Huiqiao Bao, received her Bachelor of Music Degree at Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing) and became the first pianist to be awarded the 'Best of Best - Top and Innovative Talent' diploma and scholarship by China Ministry of Culture. After obtaining a Master of Music Degree with Academic Honors and a Graduate Diploma at New England Conservatory (Boston) as a student of Professor Alexander Korsantia, she continues to pursue an Artist Diploma at Royal College of Music (London) in the class of Professor Norma Fisher.
Her performances have taken place across China, USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Egypt, Japan, and South Korea, at venues including Beijing Forbidden City Concert Hall, Beijing Concert Hall, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, Egypt Cairo Opera House, Shenzhen Grand Theatre, London School of Economics, and Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover. She also frequents the festival circuit, with the recent performances at Annecy Classic Festival, Festival d'Auvers sur-Oise, Dinard Festival International de Musique, Shanghai International Music Festival, and BNP Paribas Rising Star Piano Festival. As a young musician, Siqian was invited to join the charity concerts to support children’s musical education in China. As a soloist, she has collaborated on a wide range of repertoire with international chamber musicians, and has appeared in concerts with Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, Xiamen Opera Symphony Orchestra, Kiev Philharmonic Orchestra, Ukraine State Symphony Orchestra, and Central Conservatory of Music Youth Symphony Orchestra, among others.
Siqian is the Silver Medalist and the Special Prize Winner of San Jose International Piano Competition 2019, a semi-finalist of the Leeds International Piano Competition 2018, the Grand Prix and the Special Prize Winner of Vladimir Krainev International Piano Competition. She was also awarded the First Prize at Imola International Piano Competition, Yamaha China Piano Competition Conservatoire, Puigcerda International Festival Competition, and prizes at numerous important international competitions. Meanwhile, Siqian is a Yamaha Future Artist, Drake Calleja Trust Scholar (London), the recipient of Lansum Music Scholarship (Los Angeles), Chengxian Fu Music Scholarship (Taiwan), and generously supported by Talent Unlimited Foundation (London).
Her recent performance engagements including the concerts at Yamaha Ginza Concert Hall (Tokyo Japan), St.Mary Perivale, and 1901 Arts Club (London).