Olwen Miles
RPS Emily Anderson Prize | £1,500
Violinist Olwen Miles is equally at home as a solo recitalist, chamber, and orchestral musician. As a soloist, she has performed at Wigmore Hall and in concert with the Maidenhead Symphony Orchestra, Brescia Masters Orchestra, Watford Symphony Orchestra, and at Peles Castle in Romania. Her orchestral leadership includes numerous appearances as leader of the Royal Academy of Music (RAM) Symphony Orchestra, working with Sir Mark Elder and Roderick Cox in concerts at RAM and Aldeburgh Festival.
Since 2022, she has been a member of the Regency String Quartet, winners of the 2025 Royal Over-Seas League String Ensembles Prize, and 2025/26 Kirckman Concert Society Artists.
Olwen was awarded the LSO Conservatoire Scholarship in 2025, and upon graduating from the Purcell School in 2020 received the Arthur Felsenstein Leavers Award. Her numerous national and international prizes also include the 2025 Harrison Frank Family Foundation Award.
She is currently studying for a Master's degree at the Royal Academy of Music with So-Ock Kim. In 2024 she was awarded a first-class Bachelor's degree from the same institution, studying with Remus Azoitei.
Olwen plays a 1767 Testore violin on loan from the Royal Academy of Music String Museum and uses an 1890 Lamy Père bow.
Olwen writes:
‘I am extremely grateful to have been awarded the RPS Emily Anderson Violin Prize. Receiving this prize is both an honour and a source of great encouragement. This support will have a significant impact on my progress and future as a violinist, enabling me to fully focus on my musical growth and pursue my long-term goals and ambitions. I look forward to more collaborations with composers and instrumentalists, and sharing the music that I passionately believe deserves more space and recognition. The prize will also contribute towards travel and performance opportunities, allowing me to develop further through performing in a wide range of settings.’