Summary
James Waters first came across harpist Emily Hoile at a school concert last summer. "It was an end-of-term recital," says the co- artistic director of the Lammermuir Festival, "nothing grander than that. But I'd been tipped off that she was really worth hearing. And indeed she was." He remembers Hoile's performance of Debussy's Dances sacree et profane as "astoundingly self-possessed: obviously the technique was there, but it was her quiet, solid assurance that really struck me. She had the musical intuition needed for a soloist to take charge of an orchestra".
Waters was so struck that he booked the 19-year-old for a five- concert residency at this year's festival, an extraordinary statement of faith in a young performer. The festival is fostering an annual 'emerging artists' slot, "though we haven't yet named it as such," says Waters. "Last year we featured the cellist Philip Higham, another young performer of extraordinary musicianship. The idea is to provide a platform for someone at the beginning of their career to try out various configurations and repertoire. Spreading Emily's exposure between so many events should hopefully ease the pressure of each, rather than overwhelming her."See the full content of this document
Extract
Harp and Soul
Hoile was never groomed as a prodigy, which makes meeting her an absolute joy. When she arrives she's a little nervous about her first newspaper interview. "Thank God for a proper cup of tea. America's useless for tea."
She s...See the full content of this document
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