Biography
Helen Radice took a first in English literature at Oxford, before her harp performance studies at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music, graduating from all summa cum laude. At Oxford she received 5 university prizes, most notably and at the age of only 20 the Charles Oldham Prize. The RCM gave her the highest distinction ever awarded to a harpist.
In October 2006 she joined the Meisterklasse of the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Munich, and is currently harpist with the Südostbayerisches Städtetheater, Passau.
NICE THINGS PEOPLE SAY ABOUT TWANG TWANG TWANG
(kisses to you all)
“One of the most imaginative music bloggers around today.”
“I had to take a moment and let you know again just how good of a piece I think it is. There are so many good, concise points in it which manage to touch every aspect of this business which deserves attention without also seemingly like random changes in thought. It's a well constructed, powerful piece which I anticipate will make a huge impact on the readers (and if it doesn't then they're a bunch of mindless nincompoops).
The quote "Many people are put off classical concerts because the air of knowing refinement makes them feel small. Humiliation is not education. To learn about great music should leave you feeling ten feet tall." is just a representative example of just how good the piece really is.”
Drew McManus, Adaptistration
http://www.artsjournal.com/adaptistration
“One of the smartest blogs in the 'sphere...another musician who can really, really write.”
Terry Teachout
www.artsjournal.com/aboutlastnight
“I've been meaning for a while to quote an excellent mad-as-hell rant that appeared on Helen Radice's blog. She's an English harpist, but don't prejudge her...”
“Excellent meditations from Helen Radice, leading to this lovely peroration: 'Humanity has always asked and always will ask why we are here, what we are doing and where we are going; that's why we also have religion - and language - and science - and even intense sexual pleasure; all these things are ways in which we connect with ourselves consciously and intensely, and which distinguish us from other animals. Not always in high seriousness; sometimes we just want to enjoy ourselves, and that is human too, and part of music. A real artist knows when to be simple. To be clear, to know yourself and your work and what is really important in such a wide world, and to communicate it so it might help others, takes paradoxically a lot of work, personal conviction and life experience.'”
Alex Ross,
www.therestisnoise.com
“Le blog d'une harpiste est-il différent du blog d'un autre ? A première vue il semblerait que non, et pourtant sur ce blog on peut suivre des interrogations plutôt singulières sur sa créativité personnelle. Un blog qui devrait encourager de nombreux autres artistes musiciens à se lancer dans cette aventure du post pour nous livrer leurs idées et leur pratique intime de la musique au jour le jour.”
http://www.digital-broadcast-channel.com/ (DBC Radio-TV, France)
“We’re lucky Helen Radice can write in addition to playing the harp; otherwise, we wouldn’t have her open letters to composers, the insider’s charming stories from within the music halls, and her happy compulsion to put the asterisks in f***ers. Not many blogs are this enjoyable to track, particularly if you’ve got an ear for contemporary classical music.”
2006 Editors’ Awards for Online Excellence , The Morning News
“How did I manage to remain oblivious to Helen Radice's blog for so very long? It's knowing and poetic, sort of like a readable Fugly, only with vastly more decency. I think Helen Radice would be one of my very favourite people, if she lived near New Boston.
St Boltophs Town
“If Playboy were to have a foldout pictorial on, say, Girls of the Harp, I would buy a copy to see if Helen Radice was in it.
Jerry Bowles,
http://www.sequenza21.com
“Indisputably London's hippest harpist, Helen Radice ... You know it won't be long before some googler comes along looking for "helen radice naked".
The Standing Room
www.thestandingroom.com
