Helen Davies

Her wide-ranging musical life has seen her combine a distinguished orchestral solo-harpist career in Ireland and Scandinavia with scholarly research in 18th and 19th century harp music, arranging and performing Irish traditional harp music and the harp music of her native Wales, and since 1989, working in the field of contemporary improvised music and electronics with her husband, trumpet player and composer Palle Mikkelborg, with whom she has performed throughout Scandinavia, Australia, the Far East, China and the US. She has also worked closely with the renowned Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir and has toured extensively with them.

Helen studied harp in Wales with Ann Griffiths and read music at Birmingham University (UK). In latter years, apart from her professional career with Palle Mikkelborg, her interest in early music and the Northern European folk tradition has inspired her to establish a duo with Poul Høxbro (flutes and percussion) and more recently a trio with Poul and wellknown Norwegian musician, Gunnar Stubseid (hardanger fiddle). Helen has published several books of harp music and has featured on numerous recordings.

Her solo CD Open the Door Softly was nominated for a Danish Music Award, and her most recent solo CD Chasing the Breeze was nominated for a Danish Radio Listener´s Prize.