Meet our SWMS Alumni
Harriet Riley
Percussionist
Originally from Devon, Harriet studied Orchestral Percussion at RWCMD. She has a diverse background, performing across genres ranging from jazz-funk and gamelan to contemporary opera. She is a regular member of Spindle Ensemble, an alternative contemporary classical group supported by Adderwell Music. Their debut album, Bea, was released on vinyl in November 2017.
Harriet is actively involved in dance and theatre projects, frequently performing solo percussion. Most recently, she worked with the children’s theatre company Can’t Sit Still. She has also collaborated with Paraorchestra + Friends, performing in their Richard Feynman-inspired dance production, which sold out the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank as part of the Unlimited Festival. The production later traveled to Perth Festival, Australia, in February 2019. Through Paraorchestra, she connected with Will Gregory (Goldfrapp) and joined the Will Gregory Moog Ensemble, performing alongside the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
In addition to her orchestral and theatre work, Harriet plays vibraphone and percussion with the alt-pop project Stevie Toddler, which has been featured on Guy Garvey’s BBC Radio 6 and Jamie Cullum’s BBC Radio 2. She also studies Balinese Gamelan, regularly traveling to Bali to deepen her expertise in Gender Wayang, a traditional chamber music gamelan used for ceremonies and shadow puppetry. Harriet is an official artist with Malletech and plays the Wernick Xylosynth.
Currently based in Bristol, Harriet works as a composer and musician for projects including Thimble Theatre and Cyrimba. She has been freelancing since graduating in 2014.
