Fran Barsby |
"I have never met anyone like her, she is just extraordinary; such an entrepreneur, fantastic musician, willing friend, generous spirit and an incredible composer."
- Eleanor Turner 2016 Fran Barsby is a British harpist known for her passion and innovation. Fran made her professional debut in 2008 at St John’s Smith Square, London. Since then she has enjoyed performing in venues such as Royal Albert Hall, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Birmingham Town Hall, Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester Minerva Theatre and many more. Fran has competed in and won many competitions including West Sussex Musician of the Year in 2011. Her solo and ensemble career with groups such as the International Harp Ensemble, and various chamber groups and orchestras has taken her around Europe. In 2015 Fran graduated from Birmingham Conservatoire of Music. During this time Fran enjoyed studying with teachers including Catherine White, Gabriella Dall'Olio, David Watkins, Skaila Kanga, Louisa Maria Cordell, Charlotte Seale, and Anne Hughes Chamberlain. "Fran is a passionate young musician. Her playing and enthusiasm are truly catching." -Gabriella Dall'Olio |
Becki Mcllory |
Becki is a music graduate from The University of Manchester, currently studying for her Masters at The Royal Northern College of Music under the tuition of Eira Lynn Jones.
As well as performing regularly as a soloist, Becki also enjoys orchestral performance, and has worked with conductors such as Peter Stark, Clark Rendell and Mark Herron, as well as with the Piccadilly Symphony Orchestra, The Northern Lusofonia, RNCM New Ensemble, Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Manchester University Symphony Orchestra and VAGANZA (New Music Ensemble). During her undergraduate degree she enjoyed a wide variety of chamber ensemble opportunities including a Harp and Flute duo, work with choral ensembles, musical theatre productions and session work within acoustic band settings. Whilst studying for her Masters Becki has been exploring the use of the harp within experimental electronic projects and has continued her chamber work with a new violin and harp duo, and The Chroma Harp duo. |
Lucy Nolan |
Lucy Nolan began studying the harp at the age of seven with Eira Lynn Jones. After graduating from Oxford University in 2013 with a BA in Music, she returned to study for a Masters in Performance in which she achieved a Distinction. During her time at Oxford University she was awarded the Margaret Irene Seymour Award, the Archibald Jackson Prize for outstanding postgraduate results and an Alice Horsman Scholarship as well as the Oxford Philomusica Young Artists’ platform for her performance with flautist, Aimee Taylor.
Lucy is passionate about helping to develop new music for the harp. As a keen performer of contemporary music she was part of an ensemble of 20 harps who performed at Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival and was invited to play in the first performance of a work for harp, flute and viola by Peter Reynolds. She worked closely with the composer Paul Patterson, to prepare his work, Armistice, for a performance in July for the World Harp Congress in Hong Kong and she recently gave the European premiere of his harp duet, ‘Scorpions’ as part of the Chroma Harp Duo, a piece for which the duo was awarded first prize in the ensemble class at the Camac Harp Competition in London and the UKHA prize for the best performance of a work by a British composer. She was also selected to work with the Norwegian composer, Eyvind Gulbrandsen, as part of a Moving Classics project which culminated in the premiere of a new piece at the Hull City of Culture Festival this year. |
Sophie Rocks |
Sophie is a freelance harpist based in Manchester. Sophie has had several years of experience playing at a variety of functions, including weddings, corporate events and birthday celebrations. Whatever your occasion, music is an important part of it and to make your day as special as possible, Sophie will work with you personally to find the perfect programme that suits you. Sophie offers an extensive range of repertoire and music of any genre is available, be it classical, jazz, pop, traditional or anything else you may desire! If you have a particular song or piece in mind, Sophie is more than happy to arrange something of your choice.
Sophie fell in love with the clarsach at a young age, and began lessons at the age of six in the Shetland Islands. At ten, she gained entry to one of Scotland’s National centres of excellence, Aberdeen City Music School, where she studied both clarsach and the Concert harp with Anne Macdearmid. Following this, Sophie went on to study further at the Royal Northern College of Music under the tutelage of Eira Lynn Jones where she gained a First class Bachelor of Music degree with honours. She is currently continuing her studies at the Royal Northern and pursuing a Masters degree in Music. |
Amy Turk |
Amy Turk is a harpist working throughout the south of England. She has more than a decade of experience performing at high profile concerts, events, functions and wedding ceremonies, and has toured extensively throughout the UK. With a wide range of musical interests, she can play pieces from any genre or time period to suit the special requirements of the occasion.
Amy's fascination with the harp began when she was six years old, and from the age of seven she was fortunate to be taught by the charismatic Ann Hughes-Chamberlain, herself a pupil of the legendary Lily Laskine. From the very beginning, Amy won the hearts of her audiences with her passion and honesty, playing both at intimate gatherings and at large events. During her teens she became a junior scholar at the Royal Academy of Music, and won awards at numerous music festivals. Amy grew up with a love of a wide variety of music thanks to her parent's record collection, and could be found listening to Grieg or Rachmaninoff as readily as Genesis, Led Zeppelin or Dire Straits. In her teens she became enthralled by transcription, arranging, composition and music technology, and spent much time performing and recording with her brother, drummer/guitarist Ben Turk, in various projects including power metal band Sorcerer’s Spell, and their own duo project Ben & Amy, under which they released two surrealist pop albums, Science (2007) and The New Food To Eat (2009). As a graduate Amy completed a Masters degree with distinction at the Royal Academy of Music, under the tutorship of Karen Vaughan, former co-principal of the London Symphony Orchestra. |