Charlotte Harding is an award-winning composer, orchestrator and saxophonist. Her works include the Ivors Composer Award-winning ‘Convo’ for massed ensemble (Royal Albert Hall) and the Ivors Composer Award-nominated ‘Them’ for contemporary dance company Balletboyz (Sadler’s Wells/Edinburgh Festival/Vaudeville Theatre, West End).
Drawing on an eclectic mix of classical and cross-genre influences, Her diverse career has seen her work performed IN CONCERT HALLS (Queen Elizabeth Hall, Kings Place, Cadogan Hall, St John’s Smith Square, St Martin-in-the-fields), AT MUSIC FESTIVALS (WOMAD, Simple Things, THREE CHOIRS, HIDDEN NOTES) AND NEW MUSIC NIGHTs (NONCLASSICAL) aLONGSIDE plays on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 6 and Soho Radio.
Recent WORKs include ‘Iorsa’, commissioned by the Piatti String Quartet & Three Choirs Festival,‘DANCE IN PERPETUITY’, a collaboration with choreogpraher Ruth Brill, English National ballet & Portugal-UK 650, and the release of ‘III’ & "‘PALOMINO’, her debut ‘clectro’ tracks, described by Tom Robinson (BBC Radio 6) as “extraordinary”. Charlotte was FEATURED on the television series ‘reinventing the orchestra with Charles hazelwood’(SKY ARTS/NOW TV).
As an orchestrator and arranger, projects with Paraorchestra have included collaborating with Suede’s Brett Anderson for ‘Death Songbook’ (Gŵyl 2021/BBC), reimagining the songs of Barry White (Park Stage, Glastonbury Festival 2019), and creating realisations of works by electronic pioneer Pauline Oliveros for the concert ‘Minimalism Changed my Life’ (Queen Elizabeth Hall, London/Bridgewater Hall, Manchester). Charlotte also orchestrated Mercury Prize -nominated Hannah Peel’s no.1 classical album ‘The Unfolding’ released on Real World Records.
As a saxophonist, Charlotte co-founded ‘Over 100 Years of Women and the Saxophone’ with acclaimed saxophonist Amy Green which launched at the World Saxophone Congress, SaxOpen, in Strasbourg and made its debut in the USA in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University in early 2020. She also featured on Keaton Henson’s latest album ‘Monument’ (PIAS).
Charlotte is passionate about the role of music in health, education and wellbeing and has collaborated with leading arts organisations including Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Streetwise Opera, Britten Pears Arts, RCM Sparks, Youth Music Theatre UK and English National Ballet. She is a trustee of the Pete Handley Percussion Award and has been an Associate Lecturer at Goldsmiths University, London. Most Recently She was invited by the Ivors academy to speak at the Houses of Parliament to celebrate 20 years of the ivors composer awards.
Charlotte studied at the Royal College of Music, London with Mark-Anthony Turnage (composition) and Martin Robertson (saxophone) and on graduating was awarded the prestigious Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Rosebowl.
charlotte is a faber alt. artist: faberalt.com/charlotte-harding
Click here for full list of works
photography: Eric oliveira // @_ceharding_
REVIEWS
GLOW
BBC Music MAGAZINE - paul riley
‘Charlotte Harding enlists the writings of Hildegard of Bingen, clothing them in plush, enveloping harmonies that work towards a radiant sunburst of a climax …’
Them
The Guardian - Lyndsey Winship
‘The choreography was made in parallel with Charlotte Harding’s excellent string score, and dance and music are clearly, pleasingly, in cahoots. Harding’s music is spare but rich: it has melody but never predictability with its riffs, clear statements and space in between, and the dance follows suit.’
The Guardian/the observer - Sara Veale
‘Buoyant phrases thrive in concert with Harding’s wily score, which roves from suspenseful to playful to sultry …’
‘Along with the dancers, composer Charlotte Harding feels like a seventh choreographer, with every knee lock, head turn or glide of the arm perfectly synchronised to her music.’
‘It’s a devised piece, made in tandem with Charlotte Harding’s string score, that feels loose, born of spontaneity and authentic.’
The stage - anna winter
‘Harding’s string score, combining propulsive pizzicato passages with shrill, nervy shudders and grinding bass, conjures a suitably enigmatic soundworld.’
convo
national campaign for the arts - samuel west
‘It was a big, beautiful thing, and it knocked me sideways.’
‘The performance itself was a spectacular display of music and visual colour.’
minimalism changed my life;
tones, drones and arpeggios
‘Two pieces by San Francisco's Pauline Oliveros – realised by British composer Charlotte Harding –
prove to be the deepest sound experiences of the evening.’
THE INDICATOR LINE
The Guardian - Judith Mackrell
“driven by the percussive power of Charlotte Harding's score”
Death songbook
“Indie anthems were given a classical twist … delivered with heart-wrenching beauty … as haunting as they come …”
The Telegraph
IMAGES
Photography: Eric Oliveria // artwork: Keaton Henson // film: John Minton
Photography: Eric Oliveria
Photography: Eric Oliveria
