About Hannah
Australian harpist Hannah Lane has forged a distinctive artistic practice championing the historical harp. She performs on harps from the Renaissance to Romantic eras, with repertoire spanning c. 1550–1830, focusing particularly on the Baroque triple harp and single-action pedal harp (early Classical to early Romantic repertoire). Hannah brings the richness of historical instruments, their repertoire and performance traditions to contemporary audiences, illuminating our shared experiences and emotions through music of the past. Acclaimed as ‘a true master of this instrument’ (Australian Stage, 2022), ‘playing three rows of strings not merely with precision but also expressive beauty’ (Limelight, 2023), Hannah’s performances have been praised for their emotional depth, subtlety and sparkling virtuosity.
Hannah studied modern harp with Alice Giles AM and historically informed performance with Geoffrey Lancaster AO, graduating with high distinction, before specialising in historical harp with Mara Galassi and Chiara Granata in Milan. Her artistic practice and professional development have been supported by Creative Australia, The Ian Potter Cultural Trust and Creative Victoria.
Hannah performs throughout Australia and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician and continuo player. She is Principal Harpist for the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Pinchgut Opera/Orchestra of the Antipodes; other ensemble collaborations include the Australian Haydn Ensemble, Van Diemen’s Band, Genesis Baroque, Adelaide Baroque, Apeiron Baroque, Ludovico’s Band and Latitude 37. She has recorded for ABC Classics, Obsidian Records and Brilliant Classics, and her international festival performances include Innsbrucker Festwochen der Alten Musik, Spoleto Festival dei Due Mondi, Urbino Musica Antica, Adelaide Festival and Canberra International Music Festival.
Based in Naarm/Melbourne, Hannah is Artistic Director of the critically acclaimed Ensemble 642 in collaboration with lutenist Nicholas Pollock. Dedicated to the art of basso continuo and music for early plucked strings, the ensemble made their international debut in 2024 at the Urbino Musica Antica Festival in Italy. They are the first Australian ensemble to be invited to perform at this festival since its inception, over 50 years ago. Hannah also curates and creatively directs projects that cultivate collaborations across musical traditions, art forms and disciplines, including the development of new works for historical instruments and projects amplifying the voices of female musicians past and present.
Passionate about sharing her knowledge and nurturing the next generation of musicians, Hannah is a dedicated music educator. As an authority on basso continuo and historically informed performance practice, she has mentored for the Helpmann Academy Elevate Mentorship Program and presented masterclasses at the Music Conservatoriums of Melbourne and Sydney. Hannah’s research on historical harp performance practice has been published in leading musicological journals such as Early Music and Eighteenth-Century Music.
