Betania Johnny – violin

The Programme

Betania Johnny – violin

Recitativo und Scherzo-Caprice, Op 6

Sonata No 4 in E Minor, Op 27
i. Allemande: Lento Maestoso
ii. Sarabande: Quasi lento
iii. Finale: Presto ma non troppo

Sonata No 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001
i. Adagio
ii. Fuga: Allegro
iii. Siciliana
iv. Presto

Hora Bessarabia

The Artist

Betania Johnny is a British-Ethiopian violinist in the final year of her Bachelor of Music (Honours) degree in Violin Performance at the Royal College of Music, studying with Ani Schnarch as a Kirby Laing Foundation Scholar. Previously, she attended the Royal College of Music’s Junior Department for seven years with a full scholarship, as well as attending James Allen’s Girls’ School with a Major Music Scholarship. In 2018, Betania performed Bach’s Double Violin Concerto with Kristof Barati, conductor Vladimir Jurowski and members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Consequently, she was invited to become a member of the London Philharmonic Orchestra’s Junior Artists programme, where she continued to perform alongside members of the LPO and had lessons with former co-leader Kevin Lin and longstanding leader Pieter Schoeman.

An avid chamber musician, she spent two and a half years performing with her string quartet, the Fortuna Quartet, having performed in the RCM’s Chamber Festival, as well as lunchtime concerts at St Mary Abbots Church and in Wigmore Hall. In May 2023, Betania performed in the Coronation Concert for HM King Charles III at Windsor Castle, representing the Royal College of Music. Moreover, Betania has led the RCM Junior Department’s orchestras, the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain and, most recently, the Chineke! Orchestra. With Chineke!, Betania continues to tour around Europe and North America and has performed in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls such as the Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall, KKL Luzern, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg and the Royal Albert Hall.

After graduating from the Royal College of Music in July 2025, Betania will continue her studies with Chloé Kiffer, as part of a Master of Music degree at the Manhattan School of Music, with a full-tuition scholarship to attend from August 2025.