Helen MacLeod
Scottish harp player
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Life
Helen was born on Skye on 1 December 1980 to Roddy and Dolores Macleod. Her father was a native Gaelic speaker, and she grew up in Inverinate on the shore of Loch Duich.[1]
She was first taught clarsach by Christine Martin, and then continued to study the clarsach and pedal harp at St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh.[2] She learned the piano for a time as well, and was interested in Scottish and classical playing.[3]
Helen then went to the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and studied with Welsh harpist Eira Lynn Jones before graduating in 2003.[1][2]
She had a varied career, working with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Hallé Orchestra among others. She formed a duo Hoot in 2005 with flautist Emma Wilkins, and they released an album Garden of Adonis on 2010.[1] Between 2009 and 2018 she taught at St Mary's Music School in Edinburgh.[4]
She died in a car accident on 23 July 2018.[2]