Noctifer Trio
The Noctifer Trio was established in 2023 while all of its members were completing postgraduate degrees at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London.
Since then, the trio has been a semi-finalist in the 2024 Carne Trust Chamber Competition, and was selected to perform as part of the Trinity Laban String Department’s day at Wigmore Hall.
One of the greatest challenges the ensemble has faced to date was selecting a name, warring between titles such as Trio Indecisive, Crystal and Company, and the Third Wheel Trio. Led by their gothic sensibilities, they eventually decided on Noctifer, meaning ‘Night Bringer’.
The group has received masterclasses with Matthew and Emma Denton of the Carducci Quartet, Konrad Elias-Trostmann of the Linos Trio, and was coached by Professor David Kenedy from 2023–2024.
About Us
Simone Ciccarelli
Simone Ciccarelli is an Italian violinist currently based in London.
He began playing the violin at the age of four and became the only pupil under the tutelage of former Principal Violin at Teatro Alla Scala di Milano Anahi Carfi.
At the age of ten he was accepted at Milan’s Conservatorio G. Verdi where he studied until the age of eighteen. He left the Conservatoire in order to further his proficiency beyond classical music and achieved his ATCL (with Distinction) and LTCL degrees under Jazz/Swing Violinist Martino Pellegrini.
In 2020 he enrolled in Trinity Laban where he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Violin Performance first and a Professional Diploma both with Merit, under the tutelage of Carducci Quartet First Violin, Matthew Denton and also was an instrumental ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation in 2023.
An eclectic musician, Simone spaces between a vast repertoire of music, ranging from classical standard repertoire to modern genres such as electronic and rock.
Lauren Wesley-Smith
Lauren Wesley-Smith is a cellist born in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, in 1997. She graduated her Bachelor of Music degree cum laude from Stellenbosch University in 2019, having been the recipient of numerous scholarships including the prestigious Graham Beck First Year Scholarship, and attaining a total of 36 distinctions.
In 2024, she received her Professional Diploma with a merit from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, having received the Ivor Simmons scholarship and the Trinity College London scholarship. She studies with Derek Aviss OBE.
Highlights of Lauren’s journey as a performer include playing at the State Theatre Memorial for Nelson Mandela with the South African National Youth Orchestra in 2013, playing with the Cape Town Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2022 Winter Season, and serving as an instrumental ambassador for the Benedetti Foundation from 2022–2024.
In addition to performing as a chamber musician, Lauren works as the editorial assistant at The Strad magazine.
Sin Iong Li
Sin Iong graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree, majoring in piano performance, from King’s College London. Subsequently, she continued her studies and began her master’s degree in piano performance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where she studies under Professor Mikhail Kazakevich. During her time at King’s, she achieved the Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music (LRSM) qualification. She also performed the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No.2 with the King’s Modern Music Society orchestra and gave various solo piano recitals. She plays a diverse repertoire ranging from the early works of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Hadyn to the later compositions of Rachmaninoff, Dohnanyi, Prokoviev, Debussy, Mompou, Chopin, and others. Alongside her solo career, she previously conducted the King’s College Chorus choir and providing piano accompaniment, which she continues at Trinity, primarily in collaboration with vocalists, which contributes to her well-rounded musicianship. She is active in chamber music, and recently participated in the English Song Competition.