An Evening with Claire Jones

Saturday 14th May

Time 7.30pm

The harp is a magical instrument, and former Royal Harpist Claire Jones is one of the most exciting players around. This concert will combine varied harp music with conversation from Claire about her instrument, what was involved in being Royal Harpist, and about her battle, now over, with the debilitating illness of ME. She will also be bringing a small 34 lever Celtic harp, to demonstrate the variety and heritage of her classical instrument.

Born in Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1985, Claire began her musical education at the age of seven. After excelling at the violin, piano and harp, she graduated as a harpist from the Royal College of Music with First Class Honours in 2007 and in 2009 graduated as an M.A. scholar from the Royal Academy of Music. Claire was one of the first recipients of the Prince of Wales Advanced Study Awards in 2007 and 2008. This award recognised her as one of Wales’ most outstanding young talents.

In 2007, Claire was appointed Official Harpist to His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, a role she held until 2011, making her the longest serving Royal harpist to date. During this appointment, Claire regularly performed for the Royal Family and their distinguished guests at the Royal Palaces. In April 2011 she performed for the newly married Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at their wedding reception in Buckingham Palace.

In 2008, Claire made her concerto debut with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and since then has gone on to perform as a soloist with some of the World’s leading orchestras including the English Chamber, Zurich Chamber, European Union Chamber, and a solo appearance with Maestro Gergiev and the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet. Career highlights include concerto tour appearances with Sir James Galway; a guest appearance at the International Harp Festival in Rio de Janeiro; solo recitals in Wigmore Hall and Cadogan Hall, concert performances alongside Bryn Terfel, Alfie Bow, Elin Manahan Thomas and Claire Rutter; a duo recording with Julian Lloyd Webber; and recordings with The National Youth Choir of Scotland.

Claire is passionate about promoting her instrument as well as performing, regularly visits schools and communities to speak and demonstrate, and is an ambassador for The Prince of Wales’s Children and the Arts Foundation. 

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