Eira Lynn Jones
Harpist Teacher Composer
Welsh harpist Eira Lynn Jones’ passion for all things harp makes her a true ambassador for this magical instrument. She combines the three strands of her illustrious career as performer, teacher and composer.
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Her two solo albums gained critical acclaim, showcasing her imaginative programming on both pedal and lever harp.
“I love the album … a diversity of music, a very accomplished technique and
your heart shining through”
Alan Stivell
As a founding member of The Juniper Project she released a flute and harp CD with flautist Anna Rosa Mari. Fragments featured on Apple Music Classical A.M. Top 50 playlist.
“Sheer pleasure … ravishing sound
… quite gorgeous …
The playing by The Juniper Project is superb”
MusicWeb International
An advocate of original music for harp, she enjoys collaborating with composers to develop new works. She has recorded pieces by Martin Ellerby, Sally Beamish, Anna Appleby, Esther Swift, Eddie McGuire and John Rutter. Recent concerts include at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, King's Lynn Festival, Harp on Wight International Festival and even at the iconic Victoria Baths, Manchester. Further afield, she has performed in Johannesburg, Copenhagen, New York, Seville, Athens, Reykjavik and Dublin, as well as on S4C, BBC Radio 3, Radio 4 ... and Radio 1!
“… fabulous! One of the most engaging concerts I’ve ever heard. It had beauty, drama, sadness and joy.
All played with complete control and conviction.”
Harp on Wight, Festival Review
Eira is committed to introducing the harp to wider audiences, resulting in an eclectic range of work: recordings with the Black Dyke Brass Band and the heavy metal group Venom, tours with the Morriston Orpheus Male Voice Choir and with Aled Jones for Songs of Praise, recitals for Music in Hospitals, playing in Spain for HRH the Prince of Wales … and appearing in two episodes of Coronation Street, watched by 16 million people.
As an orchestral player she regularly plays with the Hallé, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Opera North and the BBC Philharmonic, appearing in concerts, recordings and at the Proms. She was Principal Harp with Northern Ballet Theatre and has been a guest player with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, English National Ballet, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Athens State Orchestra.
Arriving at the
Royal Albert Hall
for the BBC Proms
Eira is widely recognised as one of the UK’s leading harp teachers and was Head of Harp at the Royal Northern College of Music for nearly 30 years. She has given workshops in South Africa, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Greece and the USA. Her online courses and private coaching sessions are in high demand, with students attending from as far away as New Zealand and China.
Teaching in South Africa
In directing harp ensembles, Eira has brought harpists of all ages and backgrounds together in innovative projects. Her favourite moments include: 20 harps at the Gateshead Baltic Gallery performing the music of John Cage, playing under Dippy the Dinosaur at the Natural History Museum for European Music Day, and a sold out live BBC Radio 3 concert from the Huddersfield International Contemporary Music Festival. In 2022 she formed the Labyrinth Ensemble for harpists who don’t get the opportunity to take centre stage. She will mentor them and offer a range of performance opportunities.
At the
2019 Edinburgh International Harp Festival
As a composer she is inspired by the stories around her from medieval tales to contemporary events. The Sunken Forest Suite explores the Welsh legend of Cantre’r Gwaelod and the rising sea levels of today. Songs of Hope, written as a response to the global pandemic, has been performed worldwide and Clouds in a Sunlit Sky was written for the Harps North West JaNEWary Challenge. She was selected as composer for Illumine Theatre’s audio drama Tremolo, now available on major podcast channels.
“A musician who grabs hold of your heart
and holds it safely in her care when playing the harp”
You can download a pdf of Eira's
concert biography and publicity photos here