Excited to share this article I wrote for Limelight, talking a little about my new harp concerto to be premiered by harpist Emily Granger and Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Umberto Clerici.
Read the article here or below:
The harp is one of those instruments you form an immediate connection with. Its sound is instantly recognisable and easy to be swept up in: beautiful bell-like tones, rich resonance, sparkling clarity. Over the past ten years, I’ve found myself returning to the instrument as a composer again and again, and it’s no coincidence this creative path aligns with me meeting my now wife, harpist Emily Granger. I had written a couple of works for harp before meeting Emily, highly experimental pieces where my lack of understanding of the instrument shone through. As a young student, I remember getting absolutely roasted by a harpist for writing their part as if they were a pianist. I thought it sounded ok, but it was an important lesson.
Thankfully, over the last decade, almost by osmosis, I’ve learned more about “good” harp writing. Hearing countless hours of Emily practising has helped me become aware of the sweet spot – approaches that sound beautiful and work naturally with the instrument’s strengths. I love writing for the harp because it has forced me to refine and clarify my technique. As a pianist/composer, I often let my wild harmonic imagination run rampant, but you must rein this in with the harp because of its specific constraints; you simply don’t have all pitches available at all times.
The idea of a harp concerto has been buzzing around for a while. After writing numerous pieces for Emily, I wanted to create a longer, significant work that brought together some shared interests. We’ve always been keen hikers and love getting out into nature on multi-day trips. When in the outdoors, there is a joy in setting out on a clear path while knowing you’ll have to be open to surprises: side trips, detours, inclement weather, unexpected animal encounters. Just as meeting Emily opened new creative directions, this concerto takes the idea of points of departure as a key theme. I was also interested in exploring a wide range of colours in the orchestra and not shying away from extremes: big, bold, gritty textures at times, and whisper-quiet serenity at others. A central aim is to place the harp in different contexts and relationships with the orchestra, not merely dwelling on the well-known “angelic” halo of the instrument.
The work is around half an hour and includes four movements, with the inner two running seamlessly together. The subheadings of each movement suggest natural landscapes and provide a snapshot of their opening scenes before a journey unfolds that soon deviates with twists and turns: I. Monoliths, II. Silken Stream, III. the clouds give rest, IV. Chasing the Light. While each movement has a clear identity and thematic material, the work as a whole is bound by recurring motifs that thread the adventure together.
In many ways, this work is my gift to Emily. Of course, she knew I was writing it because I was continually testing out ideas with her, but the true collaboration began when I finished the first draft and we began tightening the harp part. It’s been a joy creating this work, and I’m excited to hear the Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Umberto Clerici and Emily bring it to life in its premiere performance in 2026.
I am deeply grateful for the generous support of John and Irene Garran and Creative Australia, without whom this project would not have been possible.
Umberto Clerici conducts the premiere of Tristan Coelho’s Harp Concerto with Emily Granger and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra at Queensland Conservatorium Theatre, Griffith University, Brisbane on 14 February at 6pm.