World-Renowned Fibonacci Quartet Enchants Kingsley Students
On Friday 27th March, Kingsley's theatre came alive with the sound of one of Europe's most celebrated string quartets, as the Fibonacci Quartet performed to a packed house of Year 5 and 6 pupils from across the local area.
Children from St Margaret's Church of England Junior School, Monkleigh Primary, Instow Primary and West Croft School joined Kingsley pupils for what proved to be a truly remarkable morning — a concert that left the audience captivated from the very first note.
The Fibonacci Quartet are one of Europe's leading young string quartets and the only ensemble ever to have won both First Prize and the Audience Prize at the prestigious Premio Paolo Borciani International String Quartet Competition in Italy (2024). They perform regularly at some of the world's great music venues, including Wigmore Hall, Vienna Musikverein and the Berlin Philharmonie, and bring that same extraordinary standard of musicianship to their music education and outreach work.
On Friday, the four musicians — Luna De Mol, Elliot Kempton, Kryštof Kohout and Findlay Spence — did something that elevated the concert beyond a simple performance. Before each piece, they introduced the music themselves, offering insights into the composers, the stories behind the works and the craft that goes into bringing them to life. It was a generous and thoughtful approach that deepened every child's listening experience and helped unlock the magic of the music in a way that felt immediate and accessible.
The programme was a beautifully varied journey through the world of chamber music. The children were treated to two movements from Haydn's Lark Quartet, followed by pieces by Debussy and Bartók. The quartet then performed a Gershwin jazz arrangement and a vibrant Argentinian dance, before bringing the morning to a joyful close with a series of Scottish folk tune arrangements. Each piece offered something new and surprising, and together they painted a vivid picture of just how varied and thrilling the string quartet repertoire can be.
The atmosphere in the theatre was remarkable: not a sound from the audience as the music played, with pupils completely absorbed in the experience. The Q&A session that followed spoke volumes about the impact of the concert. The questions were unstoppable — curious, thoughtful and enthusiastic — a sure sign of just how engaged every child in the room had been.
This concert was made possible by Young Musicians Support, a North Devon charity bringing world-class musical experiences to young people in the region, with financial support from the Dartington North Devon Foundation. Devon Music Hub also provided valued support in facilitating the event. We are enormously grateful to all three organisations. We hope this film gives you a small taste of what it felt like to be in that room.
At Kingsley, our ethos centres on nurturing confidence, creativity and a love of learning through rich, real-world experiences. As part of our commitment to Performing Arts and to our wider community, we are proud to open our theatre to local primary schools for events like this — moments that we hope will stay with these young people for a very long time.
Thank you to Devon Music Hub, to Luna, Elliot, Kryštof and Findlay for an exceptional performance, and to all the schools who joined us to share in it.
Head to The Performing Arts Pathway to find out more about Music and Drama opportunities at Kingsley.
Find out more about the Fibonacci Quartet: www.fibonacciquartet.com
Young Musicians Support: youngmusicianssupport.org.uk
Devon Music Hub: www.devonmusichub.org.uk
