Dominic Harlan

About

Dominic Harlan is a pianist, performer, workshop leader, presenter and composer. Through his workshops, recitals and presentations, he has introduced countless people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to the worlds of opera, music-theatre, concert performances and composition.

“Cynics detecting political correctness in overdrive would have felt satisfied if the results were makeshift or amateurish, but the opposite was true. Musically the performances were superb…Dominic Harlan, the music director and pianist, deserves a medal.” ***** The Times on Britten’s Canticles, Westminster Abbey

“Harlan is irrepressibly enthusiast. A terrifically engaging pianist, actor and communicator…terrific fun. Go and have your eyes and ears opened to these songs.” The Singer on When Yesterday we Met…, Wigmore Hall

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He studied piano at the Royal Academy of Music with Alexander Kelly, Lois Phillips and Malcolm Martineau, during which time he made his Wigmore Hall debut partnering Dame Gwyneth Jones. He has since performed throughout the UK, Europe, Japan, India, The Gulf and North America, with singers and instrumentalists that include Alexander Baillie, Narimichi Kawabata, Errollyn Wallen, Daniel Norman, Matthew Sharp, Sophie Daneman and Sarah Gabriel. He has given live broadcasts for BBC Radio 3 and Classic FM, and recorded discs for Warner Sunset, Naxos and Avie. As a musical director, Dominic’s recent work includes Modern Major General, (Proteus Theatre), Ain’t Misbehavin’- The Fats Waller Musical Show (Oxford Theatre Company) and his own arrangement of The Magic Flute (Brighton Festival/ Glyndebourne Education).

“A first rate recital- one of the most gratifying of the year.” Daily Telegraph. Recital with Matthew Sharp. Kings College, London

Dominic’s introduction to workshop leading came through Streetwise Opera, which produces professional productions while giving centre stage to a cast who have experienced homelessness. He became musical director for three critically acclaimed Streetwise productions: Britten’s Canticles, Ceremony of Carols and Mahler’s Rückert Lieder. Now irreversibly drawn to projects involving music and performers from all walks of life and experience, Dominic began his career in music education: he is currently artistic director of Glyndebourne’s Opera Experience workshop programme and devises and leads workshops for some of the country’s leading arts institutions including Wigmore Hall, Opera North, Garsington Opera, Opera Holland Park and English National Opera. He also runs workshops for the European organisation RESEO, Netherlands Opera and most recently, Muziekcentrum van de Omroep (MCO), Amsterdam.

“Dominic Harlan is an exceptional communicator - simply one of the best workshop leaders and presenters we have worked with who brings energy, talent and enormous skill working with groups of any age and ability, especially those new to opera. He has significantly helped us broaden audiences through a number of key initiatives, including our Opera Experience programme, presenting our Performances for Schools, and Glyndebourne’s new online digital resource, Operaland (www.operaland.org)”Katie Tearle, Head of Education, Glyndebourne

As a composer/educator, Dominic frequently devises music theatre pieces in collaboration with vocal groups that include both amateur and professional singers. These include Limelight (Opera North), Apollo Rides Again (Wigmore Hall) Orpheus (English Touring Opera) and We are Stardust (Wigmore Hall). His musical Photo-Me was devised with young people at The Stables Theatre, Milton Keynes, and went on to being performed professionally at Riverside Studios, London, as part of Tête á Tête: The Opera Festival.

In his new show, When Yesterday we Met… Dominic performs and presents classical song repertoire in an extraordinary homage to this notoriously under represented genre. First performed at Wigmore Hall in 2010, it has since been seen at Leeds International Festival, Leedslieder, Riverside Studios, and in 2012, further performances include Cheltenham Festival, Machynlleth Festival, Kensington and Chelsea Music Society, Leedslieder and Wigmore Hall.

“I would never, ever have believed that hardcore song repertoire could be conveyed so immediately, so powerfully and enjoyably to an audience of children. An unmitigated triumph of the imagination.”Ian Bostridge on When Yesterday we Met…

Video

‘When Yesterday we Met…’ filmed live at Wigmore Hall, London.

Composition

Utah, 1975 – Music by Dominic Harlan, words by Steve Hale.
Sarah Gabriel, soprano, Philip Smith, baritone, Dominic Harlan, piano.
Performed live at Riverside Studios, London, as part of Tête à Tête:The Opera Festival. Special thanks to Tête â Tête (www.tete-a-tete.org.uk)

Songs from the show Photo-Me. Music and lyrics by Dominic Harlan.

(Click on the titles to play. When playing, click again to pause)

Lips Soft Red from the show Photo-MeMusic and lyrics by Dominic Harlan
Take your photo from the show Photo-MeMusic and lyrics by Dominic Harlan

Audio

(Click on the titles to play. When playing, click again to pause)

Nicolai Myaskovsky - Allegro Appassionato from Sonata in D, op.12Alexander Baillie, cello, Dominic Harlan, piano
Aaron Copland - PastoraleSarah Gabriel, soprano, Dominic Harlan, piano

Gallery

News

Wigmore Hall, London
Friday 27 January at 11am
Bows and Arias
Presented by Dominic Harlan. With Guy Johnston, cello, Tom Poster, piano and Sophie Daneman, soprano.
Music by Bach, Martinu, Chopin, Shostakovitch and world premieres by John Barber and Hazel Gould.

Astor Community Theatre
Deal Festival of Music and the Arts
Friday 24 February 2012 at 7.30pm
Schumann- Dichterliebe op.48
Emily Hall- 3 Songs (world premiere)
Brahms- Sonata for piano and cello in E minor, op.38
Dominic Harlan- pianist and animateur of ‘Love Music- Intimate’
Matthew Sharp- cellist and baritone
Participants from ‘Love Music- Intimate’
Dominic Harlan shares the platform with Matthew Sharp - described by the National Theatre as “Rostropovitch meets Tom Waits” - and participants from Deal Festival’s latest pioneering song writing project, ‘Love Music’
Stanhope Road, Deal, Kent, CT14 6AB
www.theastor.org

Chelsea Arts Club
Sunday 4 March 2012 at 6pm.
Song recital performed and presented by soprano Sarah Gabriel and pianist Dominic Harlan. Intimate setting, great tunes, great stories. Music by Wolf, Strauss, Hahn, Debussy and more…
143 Old Church Street, London SW3 6EB

Howard Assembly Room, Grand Theatre, Opera North, Leeds
Friday 23 March 2012 from 4pm
Verve
Culminating performances of two music theatre pieces devised with 30 young people with Asperger’s syndrome, aged 10-15.
Sabina Netherclift- director
Ruth Paton- designer
Dominic Harlan- composer and piano
Jeff Lloyd Roberts – singer

Kensington and Chelsea Music Society
Thursday 10 May 2012 at 7pm
St. George’s Church, Aubrey Walk, Campden Hill Road, London, W8
Children’s Charity Concert in aid of DEBRA (charity for children’s skin condition) and KCMS
When Yesterday we Met…
Sophie Daneman- soprano
Stephan Loges- baritone
Dominic Harlan- piano
Devised, directed and presented by Dominic Harlan

Howard Assembly Room, Grand Theatre, Opera North, Leeds.
Saturday 12 May 2012 at 7pm.
Music by Mozart, Britten, Stravinsky and more...
Rebecca Moon- Soprano
Heather Shipp- Mezzo
Dan Norman- Tenor
Richard Burkhart- Baritone
Dominic Harlan- Piano

Manchester Library Theatre Company, from 12 June – 7 July 2012
Manchester Lines
This production will play a site specific venue in Manchester.
Music by Errollyn Wallen
Written by Jackie Kay
Directed by Wils Wilson
Musical direction by Dominic Harlan

Cheltenham Music Festival 2012
Parabola Arts Centre
Sunday 8 July at 11.30am
When Yesterday we Met…
Sophie Daneman- soprano
Philip Smith- baritone
Dominic Harlan- piano
Devised, directed and presented by Dominic Harlan
www.cheltenhamfestivals.com

Machynlleth Festival 2012
Tuesday 21 August at 1pm
When Yesterday we Met…
Sophie Daneman- soprano
Philip Smith- baritone
Dominic Harlan- piano
Devised, directed and presented by Dominic Harlan
MOMA WALES
Y Tabernacl
Heol Penrallt
Machynlleth
Powys SY20 8AJ
Tel 01654 703355
www.momawales.org.uk

Oxford Lieder 2012
Sunday 14 October 2012 at 4pm
Holywell Music Room
When Yesterday we Met...
Devised, directed and presented by Dominic Harlan
www.oxfordlieder.co.uk

Oxford Lieder 2012
Friday 19 October 2012 at 11am
St.Edwards School Hall
When Yesterday we Met...
Devised, directed and presented by Dominic Harlan
www.oxfordlieder.co.uk

Bridgewater Hall
Monday 22 October 2012 at 2pm
When Yesterday we Met...
Devised, directed and presented by Dominic Harlan
www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

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