Music In The Museum: December 2026

Harriet’s introduction to the harp was far from conventional: she first began lessons in Oman in the Middle East, where fishing wire proved a suitable replacement for any broken harp strings! 3000 miles later, she was awarded a place at the Junior Department of the Royal College of Music under the tutelage of Daphne Boden. This was followed by reading Music at Balliol College, Oxford where she was an Instrumental Exhibitioner. Harriet then completed her studies with Imogen Barford at Trinity Laban Conservatoire, supported by awards from the Musician’s Benevolent Fund, the Countess of Munster Musical Trust, and the Martin Musical Scholarship Fund.

An accomplished chamber musician, Harriet was for many years, a member of the Swan Duo with ‘cellist Jessica Burroughs. Together they reached the String Finals of the Royal Over-Seas League competition, were Recommended Artists for Making Music, and performed many recitals under the auspices of the Countess of Munster Recital Scheme. Harriet was a founding member of the internationally recognized ensemble 4 Girls 4 Harps, whose music has been broadcast on Classic FM, BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 3 and BBC Radio 4, as well as across the world as far as Australia and the USA.

Alongside her career as a professional harpist, Harriet is also a composer specializing in solo and chamber works for harp. Her critically acclaimed composition, Sun, Moon and Stars for harp quartet, was selected for performance at the 9th World Harp Congress, and her 2012 work, Elemental for harp quartet, was performed live on BBC Radio 3. In 2017, a video of Harriet’s harp quartet arrangement of Shostakovich’s famous Waltz no.2 went viral across the world, having receiving over 6 million views to date. Other compositions include a song cycle for harp and mezzo soprano, Songs of Childhood, which was performed by the Erda Ensemble at the 2025 Leeds Lieder Festival, and Jewellery Box for harp and ‘cello which received its US premiere in 2024.

December 2022 saw the release of Harriet’s debut solo album, Christmastide, featuring her own arrangements of traditional Christmas carols for harp. The recording was well received by critics, with the British Music Society describing it as ‘arrangements to which it is well worth paying attention’ and by BBC Music Magazine as an ‘…intimate performance that is warm and colourful, creating a charming atmosphere of peace and joy.’. 

In 2024, after having her third child, Harriet was inspired to found the Metis Collective. A flexible line up consisting of fellow mother musicians, the ensemble is founded on the principle of collective wisdom and expertise gained through the life experience of having children and juggling a career in the performing arts with motherhood.