Laxmi Bickley was born and grew up in London. A graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, she studied the modern viola with Patrick Ireland and Misha Geller and the baroque violin with Duncan Druce. She continued her postgraduate viola studies in Holland with the noted teacher and performer, Nobuko Imai. She was also inspired by chamber music coaching from Eli Goren while her passion for authentic performance was enhanced by baroque violin lessons with Sigiswald Kuijken.
Laxmi has played with Anima Eterna Brugge since its inception in 1987, working on scores of projects & critically-acclaimed recordings under its founder and musical director,Jos van Immerseel.
Over a professional career spanning 30 years Laxmi has also performed with a number of other fine period instrument ensembles – including La Chapelle Royale, The Hanover Band, The Mozart Academy, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Le Concert des Nations and De Nederlandse Bachvereniging – giving her the opportunity of working with musicians as Richard Egarr, Philippe Herreweghe, René Jacobs, Jaap ter Linden, Andrew Manze, Marc Minkowski and Jordi Savall.
Laxmi is a member of the Helicon String Quartet and is in demand as a committed teacher.
Besides music, Laxmi has an intense interest in a variety of art forms. This was the basis for her to establish and run a cultural centre in Amsterdam during the 1990s.