It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here! I’m unsure whether or not to keep this blog going, since I now tend to use my Facebook page to share photos, concert details, and other news. You can find my page here: facebook.com/HarpistAlex/ Follow me for regular harp updates!
For the past year I’ve been working a lot with other harpists in the area, in a duo (94 Strings) and also a larger ensemble (Glissando). In the short time we’ve been playing together, we’ve had lots of fun rehearsals and some very successful concerts, and it has been a totally eye-opening experience for me. Life as a freelance soloist has its ups and downs and although you have the freedom to pursue whatever you want, it can be quite lonely and easy to lose […]
I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I last updated! It’s hard to find the time at the moment. I do small updates (pictures, news) over on my Facebook page and Twitter, but should really get into updating here more regularly too. So what have I been up to… Well, quite a lot. Lots of the usual orchestral concerts, weddings, and teaching. But also a bit of session work, solo recitals, recitals with my brother, and the big […]
It’s been a REALLY long time since I’ve posted! I’ve had so much on, including: •Buying a new apartment and moving in. •My partner setting up a new office in Brighton. •Decorating said apartment. •Turning 30 and having a HUGE party. •Friends visiting from New Zealand. •Performing for the weddings of 3 close friends. •More orchestral work and recitals with my brother. •The general madness of the peak of wedding season! It’s been one of my busiest summers yet, with […]
ABRSM results are in! I put two of my private students in for their exams this term, one at Grade 3 and the other at Grade 4. Both of them passed with Distinction! And my harp ensemble at Lingfield Notre Dame Junior School made their debut performance in the Spring Concert. They all played beautifully, I am one proud teacher! In other news, earlier this month I filled in at the last minute for a concert with Redhill Sinfonia. Rimsky […]
I can’t believe we’re already one month into 2015! 2014 went out with a bang for me, I had so much on. The Ceremony of Carols with the East Grinstead Choral Society went very well, a sell-out night with a really varied programme of music. I also performed at Hurstpierpoint College for their Christmas concert – excerpts from the Ceremony of Carols along with some really gorgeous Vaughan Williams pieces. My teacher Helen Arnold and I held a pupil’s concert […]
The first half of the term is already over! I’ve really been enjoying teaching again. It can be incredibly rewarding and I love sharing my passion for the harp and music in general with my students. As well as scales, pieces, and general technique, we’ve all been working on noticing shapes in music, particularly that of the triads and their inversions. Reading music is like reading words – you need to be able to recognise the patterns that crop up […]
Since we got back from the US I’ve been busy with summer events all over the South and South East. A huge corporate event at the Greenwich Maritime Museum, a VIP reception for the launch of the new Rolex watch, an amazing Hindu engagement ceremony, a local Folk Festival with my duo We Two Kings, and of course many many weddings. September doesn’t seem to be any less busy, with more weddings, recitals, and of course teaching begins with the […]
Earlier this month I was lucky enough to join my partner for a holiday in the USA after he’d finished some working there. We started in Las Vegas where he had been working at an exhibition, then headed to San Francisco, then on to New York City. We’re not ones to spend our holiday time lazing around, and even now, a week after we got back, I’m still tired out from it all! In Las Vegas we saw Le Rêve […]
So much has happened since I last posted! My lovely colleague, the Brighton harpist Andrew, is retiring this summer. He has very kindly passed his positions on to me, which means I have now moved permanently back from France to Sussex, and am resuming my performance work all over the South East, as well as taking over from Andrew as the harp teacher at the prestigious Brighton College. I am very excited about all of this! Some excellent opportunities are […]