RIOT

RIOT is at the forefront of a movement of musicians that are aiming to increase the capacity for rampant, riotous appreciation of the joy that is classical music, as well as to transport audiences with the music’s transcendent beauties.  At the top of their manifesto is encouraging the addition of (respectfully timed) whoops of appreciation to the classical auditorium. On stage, they strive to build music from the ground up, negotiating the tricky tight-rope of casting out pre-conceptions, digging for meaning and expressing the way the music hits them personally, but without losing the insights and inspiration that the great musicians of our tradition have brought. It’s a high-risk, no-holds-barred approach, but for RIOT, playing music the way you truly feel it is the only reason to be on stage.

As well as the masterworks of the past, RIOT showcases Adam’s vivid contemporary compositions: engaging, immediate and gripping works that grab the audience’s attention from the first note and hold it until the final note fades; pieces born of Adam’s belief that it is not the audience’s responsibility to struggle to understand the abstruse writings of a composer. Instead, he aims to “captivate and to take the listener on an unavoidable journey, where not hearing the end of the piece would be as disappointing as losing your Netflix subscription mid-series.”

Summerhayes’s three string trio compositions will be recorded with Meridian Records in 2026. 

Formed in 2025, RIOT brings together three of the UK’s most adventurous chamber musicians – violinist Adam Summerhayes, violist Carmen Flores, and cellist Toby White.

Adam Summerhayes has appeared on many of the world’s leading stages including Wigmore Hall, the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He was recently featured in The Strad in an article titled MUSIC SHAPED BY INSTINCT. Adam performs on the Ex-Sorantin Stradivarius and the Lobkowitz Pietro Guarneri. 

Carmen Flores is a remarkable violist with a deep passion for chamber music. She has been a driving force in creating innovative ways to experience and perform classical music. As a founding member of the acclaimed Villiers Quartet, she has championed British music and made several celebrated recordings on the Resonus, Naxos, Lyrita, and Somm labels. She is the Director of the Nottingham Chamber Music Festival, which celebrates the creative community and chamber music across Nottingham.

Toby White Recognised as a superb soloist and ensemble player, Toby White is a member of the Villiers Quartet and previously performed throughout Europe with the award-winning Jubilee String Quartet. A Tillett Young Artist, he made his Wigmore Hall debut in 2019 and has performed widely across the UK, including with the St Cecilia and European Union Chamber Orchestras.

With a multiplicity of prizes, scholarships and awards to their names, RIOT brings consummate musicianship to the stage – as well the capacity for rampant, riotous enjoyment of the joy that is classical music.

“To die for” The Strad

“Utterly compelling” BBC Music Magazine

“A riveting, dramatic and even sexy listen” BBC

“Intoxicating… virtuoso fiddle playing” The Times