‘An artist in the true sense of the word’, concert harpist Richard Allen studied with Gabriella Dall’Olio and Frances Kelly at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance, going on to study in Switzerland with Letizia Belmondo at the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne. Richard was born in 1993 in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he initially trained as a pianist and traditional Irish harper.

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As a soloist Richard performs recitals and concertos across the UK and beyond following sponsorship as a Countess of Munster Recital Scheme artist in 2017. Notable performances include Glière’s Harp Concerto with the Ulster Orchestra, and Mozart’s Concerto for Flute & Harp with the National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, and recitals at the Clandeboye Festival, Cheltenham Music Festival, and St. Martin-in-the-Fields. In 2017 he won the 2nd Prize at the prestigious Félix Godefroid International Harp Competition in Belgium, following a 1st Prize at the North London Camac Competition in 2016, and the BBC Young Musician’s Platform Award shortly after. Among his artistic influences are Marie-Pierre Langlamet, Anneleen Lenaerts, Isabelle Moretti, Fabrice Pierre, Sylvain Blassel, and the late Germaine Lorenzini, with whom he has taken many masterclasses over the years. His playing is often noted for its palette of shades and colours, and a depth of expression that is rarely heard on the instrument.

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A graduate of the Philharmonia Orchestra Fellowship Programme he now freelances with orchestras including the BBC Philharmonic, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, Opera North, Bremer Philharmoniker, Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic. In 2023 he was appointed harp tutor at the Institute of Fine Arts at Leuphana Universität in Germany, and gives courses and masterclasses across Europe, including the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Royal Irish Academy of Music, and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.