for harp and orchestra (2025)
Harp Concerto
Premiered by Emily Granger, harp and Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Umberto Clerici, 14/02/2026 at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, Conservatorium Theatre.
recording coming soon...
Program Note / Listening Guide
I. Monoliths
II. Silken Stream
III. the clouds give rest
IV. Chasing the Light
Most of us know the quiet joy of wandering through a new place with an openness to instinct, allowing each moment to reveal the next step. There is a beautiful sense of freedom in that, and your awareness sharpens as small details come into focus and begin to guide you. This is how the narrative of this concerto unfolds: a series of points of departure, each opening outward in its own direction. The natural world provides the framework, and the solo harp leads us through musical landscapes that shift and transform as we travel through them.
In Monoliths, we set out in imposing terrain. An orchestral mass rises in intense, driving, fanfare-like waves, evoking towering granite forms. Through this wall of sound the harp breaks the surface, its gestures cutting sharply against the force surrounding it. This movement is all about emergence as the harp’s brilliant tone gradually comes into focus.
The second movement, Silken Stream, begins tranquilly before shifting into a dance-like character. Gentle currents flow and gather, shimmering with fluid lines and sparkling textures. The music slowly builds momentum, tracing the movement of water finding its course. We move seamlessly into movement three, the clouds give rest. The title is a fragment from one of Bashō’s stunning haiku, capturing the moon’s piercing brightness, momentarily veiled by passing clouds. A whispery, suspended atmosphere takes hold. An unbroken ostinato threads through the entire movement. The harp hovers within this mysterious space, surrounded by soft, searching timbres. Nothing rushes; everything drifts, weightless and slow.
In the final movement, Chasing the Light, we press on, catching the last moments of daylight. Spirited, playful and frantic at times, it is filled with lively melodies, repeated rhythms and sparkling harp interludes. Motion gathers quickly, as if pulled toward a distant glow. The concerto ends in forward drive and exhilaration, propelled by the instinct to follow light wherever it leads.
This project was made possible through the generous support of John and Irene Garran and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
I. Monoliths
II. Silken Stream
III. the clouds give rest
IV. Chasing the Light
Most of us know the quiet joy of wandering through a new place with an openness to instinct, allowing each moment to reveal the next step. There is a beautiful sense of freedom in that, and your awareness sharpens as small details come into focus and begin to guide you. This is how the narrative of this concerto unfolds: a series of points of departure, each opening outward in its own direction. The natural world provides the framework, and the solo harp leads us through musical landscapes that shift and transform as we travel through them.
In Monoliths, we set out in imposing terrain. An orchestral mass rises in intense, driving, fanfare-like waves, evoking towering granite forms. Through this wall of sound the harp breaks the surface, its gestures cutting sharply against the force surrounding it. This movement is all about emergence as the harp’s brilliant tone gradually comes into focus.
The second movement, Silken Stream, begins tranquilly before shifting into a dance-like character. Gentle currents flow and gather, shimmering with fluid lines and sparkling textures. The music slowly builds momentum, tracing the movement of water finding its course. We move seamlessly into movement three, the clouds give rest. The title is a fragment from one of Bashō’s stunning haiku, capturing the moon’s piercing brightness, momentarily veiled by passing clouds. A whispery, suspended atmosphere takes hold. An unbroken ostinato threads through the entire movement. The harp hovers within this mysterious space, surrounded by soft, searching timbres. Nothing rushes; everything drifts, weightless and slow.
In the final movement, Chasing the Light, we press on, catching the last moments of daylight. Spirited, playful and frantic at times, it is filled with lively melodies, repeated rhythms and sparkling harp interludes. Motion gathers quickly, as if pulled toward a distant glow. The concerto ends in forward drive and exhilaration, propelled by the instinct to follow light wherever it leads.
This project was made possible through the generous support of John and Irene Garran and the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.