Join us for a special Salon Evening at Watts Gallery, featuring a live performance by the Turner Quartet.
Inspired by our current exhibition, The Pattle Sisters, and the rich tradition of the salons they would have hosted, this intimate evening brings together art, conversation, and music in a truly atmospheric setting.
Enjoy inspiring talks from the exhibition curators, followed by an exquisite performance by the Turner Quartet in the beautiful surroundings of the Historic Galleries. The programme will include, among other works, Schubert’s Rosamunde String Quartet, referencing the Schubertiade salon evenings of the 1820s and beyond — perfectly echoing the spirit of artistic exchange and sociability that defined salon culture.
Expect a relaxed, elegant evening celebrating creativity, connection, and cultural exchange.
Light refreshments will be available.
The Turner Quartet is a string quartet comprised of four students at the Royal College of Music in London and was formed in September 2025. The quartet takes its name from the British painter William Turner whose expressive paintings have been a source of inspiration. The members are violinists Kana Aihara, Ray Sun, violist Hugo Svensson and cellist Megan Rose. In 2026, the quartet looks forward to concerts in London as well as further chamber music studies at the Royal College of Music.
Kana Aihara is an emerging violinist from the US. She is currently studying her Bachelor of Music at the Royal College of Music with Radu Blidar. She was a scholarship fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy before graduating high school, where she was under the tutelage of Almita Vamos. Kana has appeared as a soloist with Minnesota Sinfonia and the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra as the winner of their concerto competitions. She is further an avid chamber musician with a special interest in string quartet. As a string quartet member, she has taken part in several courses and competitions including Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and Interlochen Advanced Quartet Program to great acclaim.
Ray Sun is currently pursuing her Master degree in Violin Performance at the Royal College of Music, where she studies under Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky. In September 2025, she was selected to perform as a soloist at the Cervo Festival in Italy, presenting Bach’s Double Violin Concerto and Szymanowski’s Violin Sonata. As a passionate chamber musician, Ray has actively participated in various ensemble projects. In February 2025, she took part in a masterclass with the Sacconi Quartet, after which she was invited to perform at the Folkestone String Festival and RCM String Festival, appearing in a dedicated string quartet concert at St Mary and St Eanswythe’s Church in Folkestone and Carne Room in RCM. She was also selected as finalists in the Royal College of Music Chamber Music Competition. Swedish violist Hugo Svensson is currently pursuing undergraduate instrumental and academic studies at the Royal College of Music in London. He is an RCM Scholar studying with Professor Yuri Zhislin. Before coming to London, Hugo studied Philosophy at Lund University and at Lilla Akademien specialist music school in Stockholm with Nina and Oleg Balabine. Throughout his activites as a violist, Hugo has had the opportunity to interact with numerous eminent educators and performers including, Priya Mitchell, Hugo Ticciati, Ian Bostridge, Tonu Kaljuste, Antonello Farulli, Simon Rowland-Jones, Nathan Braude among others. In addition to his viola studies, Hugo started conducting studies at the Royal College of Music in September 2024. Hugo plays a Willam Harris Lee Viola generously on loan from the Cherubim Music Trust. Megan Rose, is a cellist currently completing her Masters of Music at the Royal College of Music with Richard Lester. In 2022 Megan completed her undergraduate at Trinity Laban Conservatoire with first class honours as a Gladys Bratton and Trinity College London scholar and studied with Naomi Butterworth. During her studies she won first prize in the Leonard Smith and Felicity Young duo competition. As an orchestral cellist Megan has enjoyed performing in the BBC Proms and Helsinki Festival with Sakari Oramo as well as working with other renowned conductors such as Martyn Brabbins, Sir Andrew Davis, Ben Palmer, Sir Antonio Pappano and more. As a Principal cellist she has led cello sections for the RCM Revolutions Opera, with Michael Rosewell 2024, as well as Trinity Labans Sinfonia and Symphony orchestra 2018-2022. Megan is a current Cello Fellow for The Royal Academy of Music Community First Strings Experience scheme and is passionate about the impact of holistic music education and outreach.