Biography
Job title: Senior Lecturer: Classical Music
Courses taught: BA (Hons) Music (Classical)
Specialisms: orchestral performance, chamber music, session work
Hannah McCabe is a diverse performer whose career as a clarinettist includes orchestral performance, chamber music, session work and touring with theatre groups.
In 2009 Hannah completed her Masters with distinction at the Royal Northern College of Music winning the Concerto Competition 2009 and the Gilbert and Fell Soloist Award during her time there. Since graduating she continues to freelance with ensembles including Manchester Camerata and the British Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and is a founding member of Phoenix Clarinet Quartet, winners of the International Clarinet Quartet Competition 2012 and the MBF Emerging Excellence Artists of 2013-2014. Phoenix are supported in their work by awards such as the PRSF Women Make Music Award for their commissioning of new music, in particular a collaboration with Jason Singh for Eve Harrison’s ‘Alveolar Ridge’ written for clarinet quartet and beatboxer.
As a session musician Hannah has performed and recorded with groups including Mercury Music Prize nominees The Unthanks and is the Clarinet and Bass player in the Upcetera Band for BBC Folk winner Jim Moray with whom she has performed live on BBC Radio 2 and television. In 2014 Hannah became multi-instrumentalist for the Gifford’s Circus Live Band, working as part of a six-piece ensemble that composed, arranged and performed the music for two sell out UK tours directed by Comedy Director Cal McCrystal.
Hannah is a founding band member of The Rubber Duck Orchestra, a Manchester- based Balkan Stomp Band that weave together elements of Balkan, Roma, Klezmer and Swing and have entertained crowds throughout the UK including headline appearances on stages at WOMAD, Boomtown Fair Festival, Bristol’s Invisible Circus, Birmingham’s Hot Club de Swing, Kendal Calling and the Philharmonic Music Room, Liverpool.
With a great passion for contemporary music Hannah is a member of ‘Sounds of the Engine House’ (a new music collective dedicated to performing works by living composers) whose recent highlights include a Sound and Music supported tour of NW England performing at Sheffield University, Huddersfield University and the RNCM.
Hannah is hugely passionate about opening up the Arts to a wider audience and frequently works as a performer in hospitals and on diverse projects for Manchester Camerata and Opera North. As a chamber musician she spent many years devising interactive concerts and performing on the Live Music Now! Scheme and she is currently a Lead Artist for UK-based music charity Jessie’s Fund who help children with additional and complex needs to communicate and express themselves through the use of music.
In 2014 Hannah was appointed Fellow of Creative and Professional Practice at the Royal Northern College of Music and in 2015 was made Senior Lecturer of Clarinet at Leeds Conservatoire.
