Pippa Tunnell

Biography

Pippa currently plays as Principal Harp with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and appears regularly with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

She is Harp Lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and has over 20 years experience as a teacher at various institutions and privately at all levels. She is a regular coach for NYOS.

Brought up and educated in Edinburgh, Pippa became a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain before winning a scholarship to the Royal Northern College of Music to study with Frank Sternefeld. There she won the Hiles Medal and, following her graduation with honours, she won several awards enabling her to take up a place at the Konservatorium in Basel, Switzerland, to study with Ursula Holliger. At this time she was also performing with the Britten Pears Orchestra.

On her return to the U.K. Pippa built up a successful freelance career, performing as a soloist as well as a chamber and orchestral musician, playing regularly with the Halle Orchestra, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Northern Ballet Theatre, and many other major British ensembles.

Her recent appearances include concerto performances with the RSNO, SCO, and chamber recitals with the Hebrides and Red Note Ensembles. She has a duo with Katherine Bryan, Principal Flautist with the RSNO.

Recordings include Britten and Rutter as soloist alongside the RSNO Junior Chorus, and Les Sirenes, and numerous works with the RSNO and BBCSSO.

Pippa lives in Glasgow.