Who is Claire Jones?

Well, it has been lovely to see fresh interest in my site of late. I’m thrilled to welcome any newcomers to my little musical section of the web and thought now would be a great time for an introduction. Or, perhaps a reminder of who I am, where I came from and what I’ve been up to.

Where I Came From

I grew up in Pembrokeshire, Wales under the shadow of the Preseli Hills. It’s a beautiful location and one - as avid readers will know – that I’ve recently returned to. I had a peaceful childhood, and as you might have guessed, I knew from an early age music was in my blood.

I already had my fingers on the keys and across the strings by the time I was seven. I loved learning to play the piano, violin and of course the harp. This beautiful, enchanting instrument was really my first passion and it has lasted my entire life. There’s always been something magical and soothing about the harp.

I’m immensely proud to say that I graduated as a harpist from the Royal College of Music with First Class Honours in 2007. By 2009 I had graduated with an M.A. from the Royal Academy of Music. I’m indebted to my mentors for all that they have done to help and support me over the years. During my time at music college, I was truly privileged to have been appointed the Official Harpist to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, a role I held for 4 years. I performed over 180 times for Royalty including one to one for Her Majesty The Queen, and for the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011. These wonderful and life changing experiences gave me a springboard as a young musician to launch my international recording and performing career. Since then I have thoroughly enjoyed producing several albums which have reached the top of the Classical charts.

My Passions

I am thankful to God for all he has blessed me with, many achievements and a wonderful upbringing, however I am fortunate he has also blessed me with many passions beyond just playing the harp. My duo partner, husband Chris and I are incredibly excited about our role in keeping the harp alive in the world today and helping other generations discover its beautiful music. I love working with young students and I am constantly on the lookout for new talent to take under my wing. My hope is to discover and support talented young harpists and try to unlock their untapped potential.

My World

My world has changed a lot recently. I’ve put more focus on my family after welcoming our little girl into the world in 2017. She has grown and developed into a beautiful and healthy girl, my husband and I couldn’t be happier. She is bilingual, and is now chatting away, playing her own little harp, and of course Daddy’s drums! Chris is also a renowned composer/percussionist and you’ll probably see me mention him on this blog quite a lot!!

Keeping Up With My Life

If you want to learn about the latest developments in my life or discover where my career is going next you can find me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. I love connecting with new followers to share my musical musings with.

Wishing you lots of smiles and happiness until next time...... :)