Esther Swift
“a wondrous blend of folk and electronica in a sold-out amphitheatre ... Björk-esque”
About
Esther Swift is an acclaimed Scottish composer, pedal harp specialist, and singer whose genre-defying work spans contemporary classical commission pieces, international festival stages, and minimalist soundscapes.
Based in Edinburgh, Esther draws structural inspiration from ritual, connection, and the natural world. Her composition and performance language seamlessly integrates her traditional Scottish folk roots with jazz harmonies, minimalism, and free improvisation. A highly respected name across the UK arts landscape, her original works have been commissioned by major cultural bodies including Celtic Connections, Manchester Jazz Festival, Hidden Door Festival, and the Edwin Morgan Trust. Her debut solo album, Expectations of a Lifetime, and her follow-up EP, Moon Dreams, received widespread critical praise, with national features on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row and five-star reviews praising her bold blend of acoustic strings, vocals, and electronic production.
In addition to her freelance writing and international touring schedule, Esther is a passionate educator who teaches harp at the prestigious Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester. Her artistic reach extends globally through experimental residencies, including representing the British Council in Vietnam to collaborate on fusing Scottish traditional music with indigenous Vietnamese instrumentation.
Original Commissions & Instrumental Writing
As a prolific composer, Esther writes for large-scale orchestras, chamber ensembles, and solo instrumentalists. Her writing style balances intricate classical structures with open, improvisational spaces. Notable large-scale commissions include The Light Gatherer (commissioned by Manchester Jazz Festival to set Carol-Ann Duffy’s poetry for a jazz quartet, harp quartet, and string trio) and The Call (an epic, open-air semaphore and improvisational performance piece commissioned by Hidden Door Festival). She is available for bespoke composition commissions, ensemble arrangements, and collaborative cross-genre writing projects.
Solo Concerts & Festival Recitals
Esther maintains an active international solo diary, delivering compelling concert programmes for arts spaces, contemporary venues, and international folk and classical festivals. Performing solo with pedal harp and voice, her live sets feature original music from her studio releases alongside intimate poetry settings, traditional material, and live vocal loops. Her live style is distinctively expressive and communicative, moving between gentle balladry and experimental acoustic textures, making her a premiere booking for contemporary music series and international arts programming.
Collaborative Ensembles & Touring Projects
Beyond her solo performances, Esther is a versatile collaborator who regularly performs with established ensembles and chamber projects. She is the primary composer and founder of the CLOUDS Harp Quartet, an innovative four-piece ensemble performing entirely original contemporary literature, and performs alongside violinist Catriona Price in the internationally toured folk duo Twelfth Day. She also tours specialised quartet projects like Sound Effects, which blends harp, voice, violin, trombone, and live electronics to map out epic acoustic soundscapes.
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