Violinist Lisa Robertson channels her upbringing in the West Highlands of Scotland into her music, using nature as a collaborative partner. Collaging the sounds of tree leaves with the industrial churn of nearby motorways, Robertson creates a new kind of folklore blighted by the ceaseless march of human-made climate damage. Her work is not here to just sound good; it is a worrying depiction of nature gone wrong, presenting the stark reality we find ourselves living through.
Having begun her career as a composer nearly a decade ago, Robertson has a prolific work rate; her music has been performed by Red Note Ensemble, Rolf Hind and Lucy Schaufer, amongst many others. At hcmf// 2019, she delivered her own solo performance of Can we not hear the birds that sing?, one of nine pieces she wrote that year. As her work has grown, her themes have cemented themselves, proving her an incisive voice in both contemporary music and the fight for our world.