Harp
With world-class training and a wide variety of opportunities to perform, you’ll gain all the skills you need to flourish as a professional harpist.
Why study harp at RWCMD?
- You'll join a small, close-knit department, creating a nurturing and supportive environment.
- Our diverse and challenging programme prepares you for life in the contemporary professional world, covering everything from solo performance to chamber ensemble playing, from orchestral work to performing popular idioms or jazz.
- One-to-one lessons and weekly performance classes centre on developing your technique, learning a broad repertoire of solo works, including notable concertos and chamber pieces.
- Opportunities to perform include public recitals, which might be with the symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra, wind-band or opera orchestra.
- Our regular teachers include Meinir Heulyn and Valerie Aldrich-Smith who cover operatic and orchestral repertoire and Amanda Whiting who gives regular jazz and arranging classes.
- Visiting artists include experimental harpist Rhodri Davies who focuses on contemporary music.
- You can also take part in masterclasses and watch recitals given by internationally renowned soloists who visit the College each year, such as Isabelle Perrin, Alexander Boldachev, Sylvain Blassel, Anneleen Lenaerts, Florence Sitruk, Chantal Mathieu and Maria Luisa Rayan.
- Students who qualify are given the opportunity to audition for professional placement schemes with BBC National Orchestra of Wales and Welsh National Opera Orchestra, working side by side with world class orchestral musicians.
- We have a wide range of harps that you can use for practising, performing and assessments, including concert harps, a semi-grand harp, one Erard Grecian harp, two Welsh triple harps and several clarsachs
