Lunchtime Concert: Harp Duos
FRI 12 MAY 13.05
Take time out this lunchtime for a performance by Trinity Laban harp duos in the beautiful surroundings of the Old Royal Naval College Chapel.
CLARA GATTI COMINI HARP
PAOLA TARDITI PIANO
Maurice Ravel
Introduction et Allegro
MARIA MCNAMEE HARP
LAURA ARMSTRONG CELLO
Louise Farrenc
Cello Sonata, Op.46
MARIA MCNAMEE HARP
Henriette Renié
Danse Des Lutins
Clara Gatti Comini is an Italian harpist studying as a Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance scholar under the guidance of Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly for the triple harp. She completed her Bachelor’s degree with a First Class Honours. In 2016 she obtained a Harp Diploma at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Paris, studying with Elisabetta Giorgi. Prior to this, she studied at the Conservatori Municipal de Música de Barcelona with Maria Lluïsa Ibáñez and Maria Lluïsa Sánchez. She has attended masterclasses with internationally renowned harpists including Fabrice Pierre, Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Catherine Michel, Isabelle Moretti, Sylvain Blassel, Elizabeth Fontan-Binoche, Heidi Krutzen, Isabelle Perrin and Park Stickney. Clara is a winner of the John Marson Harp Prize for Outstanding Musicianship 2020, the Cherubim Music Trust Harp Prize 2020, and holds third prize at the London Camac Harp Competition 2020. She has won various competitions from a young age, including Arpa Plus and L’Arjau in Barcelona. In 2020 she performed Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto at Wigmore Hall as part of Trinity Laban’s Strings’ program. She has given solo performances at St. James’s Church Piccadilly, the Lingotto in Turin, Nice Classic Live, Harps on Wight Festival, Agimus Grosseto, and Borough New Music where she performed the UK premiere of Ada Gentile’s piece Scaglie di Mare for solo harp. In London, she regularly performs at the Queen’s House, the Old Royal Naval College Chapel and St. Alfege Chapel. Clara is a member harpist at the European Union Youth Orchestra and since 2019, she is a member of Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra, performing at St. John’s Smith Square and Cadogan Hall. As a harp teacher, Clara’s students have won multiple prizes at harp competitions, including first prize at the London Camac Harp Competition, London Young Musician, Glowing Harp Competition in Ukraine, International Fringe Association in Hong Kong, and have been accepted to the National Children’s Orchestra in the UK. Besides her harp studies, in 2017 she obtained a bachelor’s degree in International Development from King’s College London.
Clara performs on a Lyon and Healy Style 100, generously donated by Lady Lucille Curzon to the Cherubim Music Trust.
Paola Tarditi is an Italian pianist and artist. She studied in Milan, Piacenza and Genova with Lucia Romanini (student of Michelangeli and Cortot), Bruno Bettinelli, Lily Allorto and Dario de Rosa. Since 1998, she collaborates with the Brazilian pianist Sylvia Maltese. Together they have recorded multiple CDs and they extensively research the piano duo repertoire by female composers, Italian and Brazilian composers. In Brazil, the duo was hosted by multiple radiophonic programs, including “Boulevard Cultura” and “Pianissimo” both for Radio Cultura FM in San Paolo and the radio BVTV. In San Paolo she performed at the Teatro Municipal, MUBE (Sculpture Museum), Libraria Cultura and for the Brazilian Music Society. For the series URCA, in Minas Gerais, the duo performed the world premiere of “Dualismo” for two pianos by the Brazilian composer Maria Helena Rosa Fernandez and recorded for Rete Globo-MG. Their CD with the first ever performance of “Voix du Printemps” by Marie Jaell, can be found in the National Library and University in Strasbourg. The composer Vasconcellos-Correa wrote the review for their CD “Nationalism and Post-Nationalism,” and the CD was included in the programs of the Brazilian Music Institute. In 2017, she was the only non-Brazilian pianist to take part in the recording of the integral works of the piano compositions by Osvaldo Lacerda, presented in the Auditorium of the Livraria Cultura in San Paolo. As a member of the Brazilian Society of Musicologists, she is dedicated to the study of the classical Brazilian repertoire in different chamber music formations with piano.
Maria McNamee is an Irish harpist from Newry who began playing the harp at the age of 9, embracing both traditional Irish and classical music. She recently graduated with a first-class honour's degree and TCL silver medal from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance where she continues to study for her master's degree with Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly. In 2011, Maria joined Chetham’s School of Music where she spent 6 years studying with Marie Leenhardt, Gabriella Dall’Olio and En Hudson. Winner of the John Marson prize 2020, Maria was awarded 2nd prize in the London Camac competition 2021. In 2017 Maria became a runner up Irish heritage award winner. Solo engagements have included performances at St James Piccadilly, Blackwater Valley Opera Festival, playing for London’s Irish ambassador at the Irish Embassy, for the Duke of Wellington at Aspley house, as well as regular performances at the Queen’s house and the ORNC Chapel in London. Maria is also a very active chamber and orchestral musician, part of several chamber groups and co-principal harp of the Young Musician's Symphony Orchestra. Maria recently performed as a soloist at Blackheath halls for Sally Beamish’s Seavaigers, written for solo fiddle and lever harp with string ensemble. This concerto was part improvised and inspired by Scottish folk music which tied in well with Maria’s love and interest in folk music. Maria is delighted to be generously supported by the Ann Driver Scholarship and the Helen Roll Charity/The Joyce Tudge Bursary Scholarship, Help Musicians UK and the Boise Scholarship.
Laura Jane Armstrong is an aspiring cellist currently studying at the Royal College of Music with Raphael Wallfisch. Previous to this she completed a Bachelor of Music with Honours degree at the Royal Academy of Music studying with Felix Schmidt and Benjamin Hughes. Laura has had the privilege of attending masterclasses with Ralph Kirshbaum, Steven Doane, Mario Brunello, Hannah Roberts Alexander Baillie, Gidon Kremer and Thomas Riebl, amongst others. Her contemporary classical work includes projects under the direction of Oliver Knussen, with mentoring from Harrison Birtwistle. Highlights include a newly commissioned work for BBC Radio 3 at Marsden Jazz Festival. Laura has been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Swedish radio, WBGO (New York radio station) and Medici TV. Laura has played at the Baltic Sea festival, the Royal Albert Hall and participated in the International Musicians Seminar at Prussia Cove, in Thomas Ades’ class. A keen chamber musician, Laura – as a member of the Tee Trio – were semi-finalists in the St Martin-in-the-Fields Chamber Music competition, finalists for the Jacob Barnes Scholarship and toured Singapore. She has also toured Scandinavia as a member of the Estonian Festival Orchestra under the baton of Paavo Jarvi. Laura is grateful to be supported by the Mamie and Ruth Waddell Memorial Prize, the Emma Newton Grant and the Denne Gilkes Memorial Fund, and very happy to have been recently awarded the RPS Julius Isserlis Scholarship.
Old Royal Naval College Chapel
Admission free, no ticket required
