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Sophie Rocks - Harpist
“An enchanting performance, superb harp playing" ****
'A gifted young harpist whose enthusiasm, both in presenting and performing, is uplifting...she successfully marries contemporary and light music styles with standard harp repertoire in her imaginative performances. Sophie is a creative artist who is clearly able to move with the times in the ever-changing world of music and the arts.'
Solo - String
Instrumentation
- Sophie Rocks - Harp
Repertoire
With a strong bias towards traditional and Classical Contemporary music, Sophie will provide a varied programme tailored for your venue. Currently, Sophie is performing her programme “21st Century Harp," which features contemporary classical, traditional and jazz music from across the globe.
Biography
Originally hailing from the Shetland Islands, Sophie draws influence from her traditional roots but also harbours a passion for contemporary music, ranging anywhere from Berio to Bowie.
Sophie has been a Live Music Now Scotland Artist since 2020, quickly developing a specialism in working with children and young people with additional support needs, as well as with the elderly with dementia. Sophie has led on music residencies at Doonfoot Primary School, St. Crispin’s School, Kirkriggs Special School and the Spinal Unit at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital. These experiences ignited a passion in Sophie for making music accessible across Scotland. Now, she collaborates with Starcatchers and The Glasgow Barons, bringing musical experiences to everyone, from young children to those in underserved communities.
Sophie’s personal highlights have included being featured as a soloist on BBC Radio 3’s ‘In Tune’, being one of the United Kingdom Harp Association’s Emerging Artists 2020, being a finalist in the Royal Northern College of Music’s Gold Medal competition and showcasing her critically acclaimed show, ‘Notes from Shetland to Shanghai,’ at the Banff Centre for Arts & Creativity in Canada and the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase. Recently, Sophie has performed as a soloist at The Usher Hall, Festival Theatre, The National Gallery of Scotland and Loch Shiel Festival. Sophie also took part in the inaugural Live Music Now Scotland Creative Residency in Skye in partnership with Skye Chamber Music.
Fueled by her dedication to making music and the harp more accessible, Sophie is diving into two exciting projects this year. Her clarsach trio, The Willow Trio, is touring rural Scotland with their innovative multimedia adaptation of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, ‘The Swan of Salen.’ Funded by Creative Scotland, the tour takes their production from Dumfries and Galloway all the way to the Shetland Islands.
A champion for the harp's versatility, Sophie actively seeks to showcase its capabilities in new and exciting ways and explores this through her collaborations with composers, pushing the boundaries of the harp repertoire. This year, Sophie will be releasing a brand new EP, ‘21st Century Harp,’ a project that delves into the exciting possibilities of the harp.
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