Inventions:
the Harpsichord across time and Borders
A multi-national project to extend the repertoire for solo harpsichord, pairing new commissions with historical works that inspired them, championing composers from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and focusing on female composers.
Image: Katarzyna Kowalik, our London-based harpsichordist.
About the Inventions project
COMMISSIONS
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4 new commissions: by a female composer in each of England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland.
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Each commission was inspired by a historical work from that country.
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Each composer worked closely with a harpsichordist working in that country, collaborating and exploring, producing fascinating new works linking the old and new.
Programme notes for this wonderful new repertoire are HERE
To meet the composers, scroll down
SPREADING THE WORD
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In 2025 Janet wrote an article in Soundboard: the journal of the British Harpsichord Society (read it HERE) and in 2026 an article was published in the Harpsichord and Fortepiano magazine (Spring 2026, vol. 30 no.2), both outlining and discussing the Inventions project.
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In 2025 Yonit, Evangelia and Janet took part in a podcast discussing the project, having been interviewed by Jonathan Grimes of the Contemporary Music Centre of Ireland. Listen to the Amplify podcast episode HERE
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in June 2026 Yonit presented a themed lecture about the Inventions project, including audio and video illustrations of the pieces, at the Historical Keyboard Society of North Anerica conference in Italy.
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We would love our new works, and their historical partner-pieces, to be performed by lots of other performers! Please explore our repertoire pages HERE, and our scores and recordings using the buttons above, and expand your repertoire to include works from around the British Isles and contemporary music. Do get in touch if you would like to contact the composers about playing their wonderful new works.
PERFORMANCES
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In each country, the project presented two concerts, in venues varying from Universities to churches, art galleries and city halls.
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The performer in each country curated their own programme, adding works relevant to the project and to their country:
full repertoire lists for each concert can be found HERE
To see a full list of our events click HERE
To listen to recordings, click HERE (coming soon!)
To meet the performers, see below
WORKSHOPS and OUTREACH
There is also an educational aspect to the project: it's not easy writing for the harpsichord! Each performer gave at least one composition workshop or educational event in their country, talking about the fantastic potential of the instrument, and how to get the best out of it, as well as the pitfalls of writing badly for it!
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England: Katarzyna held a workshop with the London Composers' Forum in the Handel House, London. and a Q&A after the Richmond concert
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Scotland: Tiffany presented an online 'how to write for harpsichord' event, hosted by Sound Scotland. Also under the auspices of Sound Scotland, she and Lisa led a group of emerging composers in a composer opportunity project
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Ireland: Yonit led a workshop for students from the Royal Irish Academy of Music and from Trinity College Dublin, and led a panel after the concert in Limerick
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Wales: Despina and Janet led a workshop for primary school children, and there was a stimulating Q&A after the Cardiff concert.
Meet the team:
In each of the four countries, a harpsichord player was paired with a commissioned composer. They worked together to create works that are idiomatic for the instrument; all of the team are high-powered artists, each bringing a wealth of experience to the project.
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In Scotland, our harpsichordist is Tiffany Vong, working with composer Lisa Robertson in Glasgow.
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In Ireland, our performer is Yonit Kosovske, working with Dublin-based Evangelia Rigaki
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In England, composer Janet Oates working with Katarzyna Kowalik in London.
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In Wales, harpsichordist Despina Homatidou working with composer Sarah-Lianne Lewis in Cardiff.
top row: the Inventions composers (L-R): Lisa Robertson, Evangelia Rigaki, Janet Oates, Sarah-Lianne Lewis
bottom row: the Inventions performers (L-R): Tiffany Vong, Yonit Kosovske, Katarzyna Kowalik, Despina Homatidou
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We are delighted and grateful to be supported by Arts Council England, Creative Scotland, The Hope Scott Trust, The Marchus Trust and the Francis Routh Trust - and in Wales by the Cy Terdd Vale of Glamorgan Legacy fund.
