Gillian Blair (saxophone) and Elinor Nicholson (harp) formed the Polaris Duo in 2011 whilst studying at the Royal Northern College of Music (Manchester, UK) and have since been exploring an eclectic range of repertoire and possibilities for this unusual instrumentation. They gave the world premiere of Andy Scott’s Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Harp at the 2012 World Saxophone Congress and have performed at venues including the Bridgewater Hall, Buxton Opera House, Wirral Arts Festival and Warwick University. They have been featured as ‘New Generation Artists’ for Lake District Summer Music and won 2nd prize in the British Harp Chamber Music Competition. In 2015 they were both individually selected as finalists for the prestigious RNCM Gold Medal Competition and most recently the duo was selected to be an artist for the ‘BBC Introducing’ scheme which has led to their music being broadcast on BBC Radio 3. The Polaris Duo is dedicated to presenting new music and expanding the repertoire for this uncommon pairing of instruments. They have worked closely with several composers on new works and have given UK, European and World premieres of pieces. Their debut album ‘illuminate’ was released in April and features original works for saxophone and harp alongside arrangements of works by well known composers.

http://www.gillianblair.com

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