Drawing from both traditional and contemporary music, harpist Ailie Robertson has opened up new space for her instrument, creating stranger – and often darker – scenarios for it to occupy. Both a composer and a performer, her work borrows from Scottish and Irish traditions while also implementing sound art, performance cues and visuals, challenging the static and formal environments the harp is found in.
Robertson’s performance at hcmf// 2016’s International Showcase was a challenge to the identity of her instrument, and what she refers to as its ‘feminine connotations’. Through four of her own works, she explored the architecture of the harp, while using experimental musical language to explore its history, and the players who first tried to revolutionise it. Robertson has continued to enjoy a reputation as one of the most innovative composer-performers of her generation, with recent highlights including residences at Glydenbourne Opera and Sound, as well as a commission for the BBC Proms.