Imogen Ridge

Imogen graduated from the Royal College of Music in 2021 with a First Class Honours Degree, where she studied harp with Professors Daphne Boden, Stephen Fitzpatrick and Ieuan Jones as an RCM Scholar. Previously she studied with Miriam Keogh, Head of harp at The Junior Royal Academy of Music. Imogen is a member of Eddie Parker’s contemporary jazz group, the Debussy Mirrored Ensemble which performed at multiple venues throughout 2018, including the Cheltenham festival and the Purcell Room, which was broadcast by BBC Radio 3. She also performed at the launch of their first CD in September 2019. She has collaborated with the world renowned, Grammy award winning pop artist Imogen Heap and features on her albums, Sparks and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. She is a member of the Britten Pears Orchestra and has played with the Royal College of Music Symphony, Philharmonic and Chamber Orchestras, the Chelsea Opera Group, the London International Orchestra and Bath Festival Orchestra amongst others. In 2021 Imogen was selected to take part in the BBCSO Pathways Scheme, mentored by Louise Martin. She has performed for HRH King Charles III at Windsor Castle, performing with soloists Sir Thomas Allen and Dame Sarah Conolly. As a member of the BPO she played at the Royal Festival Hall and at Aldeburgh Music’s Snape Maltings Concert Hall, conducted by Marin Alsop in 2017, in Tchaikovsky’s Manfred Symphony at the Snape Proms, conducted by Semyon Bychkov in 2016, and in 2011, conducted by Edward Gardner. She has also had the opportunity to work with conductors such as Bernard Haitink, John Wilson, Howard Williams, Jessica Cottis, Sian Edwards and Jac van Steen to name a few. Imogen has also performed at festivals such as Latitude and the London Jazz Festival. Imogen enjoys performing for a wide variety of events, recitals and weddings and has travelled performing across Europe. She has performed for HRH King Charles III, the Duke of Gloucester, the Duke of Kent and many well respected companies such as the Wax Chandlers Livery Company. Imogen regularly performs for London’s top weddings and events companies. As a soloist Imogen has performed in venues such as The House of Lords, The British Museum, The Wallace Collection, Kew Gardens, The Mandarin Oriental (Knightsbridge), The Waldorf Hilton, Hilton Park Lane, The V&A, The Tate Britain, Spencer House, 116 Park Lane, St Peter’s Notting Hill, Munster Square, London, Guildhall City of London, the Royal College of Music, Snape Maltings, Two Temple Place and Great St Mary’s Church, Cambridge. Imogen also enjoys working in music education inspiring children of all ages. She has experience in a diverse range of roles including private harp teaching, regularly teaching at the Royal College of Music Junior Department, including coaching their orchestras and chamber groups, leading and presenting creative musical workshops in schools, tutoring at unique and innovative institutions such as Aldeburgh Young Musicians and Britten Pears Arts and working for the Tri-borough Music Hub. Imogen has also presented for TV and at venues such as the Royal Opera House. Imogen is an Aldeburgh Young Musician alumnus, member of AYM’s Exchanging World’s Ensemble, Britten Sinfonia Academy founding member and alumnus and was a Concordia Young Artist. She was awarded the prestigious Ganzoni Bursary by Aldeburgh Music in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the AYM Programme. She has performed in masterclasses with Gwyneth Wentink, Claire Jones, Marisa Robles, Anneleen Lenaerts, Jana Boušková, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Cathy White and David Watkins. She has been mentored by Jana Boušková, Eleanor Turner and Royal Harpist Hannah Stone. In 2016, Imogen was selected to study in Switzerland at Harpmasters with Karen Vaughn (RAM) and Irina Zingg (Civica di Scuola Musica Claudio Abbado, Milan).