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Biography

Hannah grew up in Surrey and her musical interest began at a young age when she began flute lessons at age six and piano age ten. Throughout her childhood, Hannah took part in school and county orchestras and concert bands, but it wasn’t until she was fifteen that she discovered the double bass. Four years later she was awarded a full scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), graduating in 2013, and continued her studies there with a Master of Arts.

Hannah grew up in Surrey and her musical interest began at a young age when she began flute lessons at age six and piano age ten. Throughout her childhood, Hannah took part in school and county orchestras and concert bands, but it wasn’t until she was fifteen that she discovered the double bass. Four years later she was awarded a full scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music (RAM), graduating in 2013, and continued her studies there with a Master of Arts.

A keen orchestral musician, Hannah participated in a range of different projects whilst studying at the Academy. These included a performance of Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben with the RAM Symphony Orchestra conducted by Semyon Bychkov, and Stockhausen’s Gruppen at the Royal Festival Hall in a side by side project with London Sinfonietta, which was later broadcast on BBC Radio 3. 

During her master’s degree, Hannah began studying Baroque double bass. This led to many new and exciting opportunities such as taking part in the RAM/Kohn Foundation Bach Cantata series, as well as concerts in the Wigmore Hall and at the Tivoli Festival, Copenhagen with the RAM Baroque Soloists. 

Aside from performing, Hannah enjoys going to see live bands across London and in recent years has attended a diverse range of concerts including Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Jamiroquai to name but a few.


QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

Which three people, living or dead, would you most like to have dinner with?
Louis Theroux – so I could ask him about all the weird/amazing/dangerous places he’s been and people he’s interviewed.
Prince – I am a huge fan of his music; I would ask him to do a tour with a live orchestra with myself playing in the bass section.
Stephen Fry – because the man’s a legend.

What’s on your playlist right now?
Prince – Art Official Age
Rachel Podger with Brecon Baroque – Bach Double & Triple Concertos
The Skints – Live. Breathe. Build. Believe and Part & Parcel
Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment – Mendelssohn Elijah

What is your most embarrassing musical moment?
When I was about ten I turned up to an orchestra rehearsal without my flute and was pretty traumatised by the experience. Luckily it’s a bit more difficult to forget a bass…


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