Chris Clarke
“Chris Clarke on the harp is a sight to behold, dexterous and skillful in matching the tempo and mood of the actor opposite”
About
Chris Clarke is a pioneering, multi-instrumental harpist, composer, and theatre collaborator whose work is dedicated to radically transforming the narrative surrounding the acoustic and electric harp.
Originally from Canada and now based in London, Chris holds an Honours BMus from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master of Performance with Distinction from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where they currently hold a prestigious position as a Junior Fellow. A fierce champion of living composers and new music culture, Chris has established a reputation as a vital voice in the contemporary arts scene. Their boundary-pushing career spans major cross-disciplinary collaborations, from premiering solo works at Milton Court Concert Hall to performing as a featured solo artist for BBC Radio 3’s Total Immersion series.
Chris’s versatility moves seamlessly between the avant-garde concert stage and commercial theatre. In 2024, they made their highly acclaimed West End debut at the Seven Dials Playhouse, co-devising and performing an intricate live on-stage score for Sam Shepard’s plays Savage/Love and Tongues. Praised by critics for their exceptional dexterity and rare ability to intertwine live vocals seamlessly with virtuosic harp textures, Chris is a first-call collaborator for artists looking to thrust the harp completely out of its traditional box.
Projects
Contemporary Commissions & New Music
Chris operates at the absolute forefront of contemporary classical music, actively collaborating with living composers to expand the technical and sonic boundaries of the harp. A long-standing resident harpist with the Guildhall New Music Society, Chris was personally selected to give the world premiere of Hannah Kendall’s solo work Tuxedo: Diving Bell 2. They also curate their own large-scale new-music initiatives, such as the beautiful, but useless concert project, which pairs the harp with electronic installations, live percussion, and experimental brass ensembles to completely dismantle traditional harp stereotypes.
Theatrical Devising & Vocal Performance
As a theatrical sound designer and collaborative performer, Chris works directly with directors, writers, and actors to build custom live scores for contemporary theatre, poetry nights, and multidisciplinary installations. Moving far beyond passive background accompaniment, Chris specialises in highly responsive, improvised live playing that physically drives theatrical narrative and pacing. Uniquely, Chris integrates their own trained classical vocals into performances, allowing them to deliver complex, multi-layered sets that fuse voice, acoustic strings, electric harp, and live electronics.
Orchestral Sessions & High-End Events
An expert sight-reader and chamber musician, Chris is a premier choice for commercial session tracking, orchestral sections, and luxury event bookings. Their extensive ensemble portfolio includes collaborations with the London Symphony Orchestra / Orchestral Artistry Composers Programme and the innovative, boundary-breaking collective Her Ensemble. With a performance history spanning world-renowned venues from Carnegie Hall to the Barbican Concert Hall, Chris brings an incredibly elegant, sophisticated atmosphere to corporate galas and private event commissions, offering a repertoire that moves fluidly from classical standards to minimalist pop transcriptions.
News
