Hannah McCabe

Fellow in Creative and Professional Practice

Email: [email protected]

Hannah McCabe is a diverse performer whose career as a Clarinet and Sax player includes work with Manchester Camerata, Sinfonia Cymru, Opera North, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Royal Exchange Theatre, The Unthanks, BBC Folk Awards, Kabantu, Giffords Circus with live broadcasts on BBC radio 3, BBC radio 2 and television.

Hannah graduated from the Royal Northern College of Music (2009) with an MMus with distinction winning the RNCM Concerto Competition and the Gilbert and Fell Soloist Award during her time there. She was a founding member of Phoenix Clarinet Quartet and with them won the International Clarinet Quartet Competition 2012and the MBF Emerging Excellence Artists of 2013-2014. Phoenix were 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 TV. 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 three sell out UK tours directed by Cal McCrystal.

Hannah’s work focuses on creative collaborations with artists from different art forms and musical backgrounds with co-composing and improvisation being at the centre of her projects. Recent collaborations include Phoenix Dance Theatre, Manchester International Roots Orchestra (MIRO), Kabantu, Vonnegut Collective and ‘Mothertongue’ with Abel Selaocoe, Alice Zawadzki, Oliver Wass & Sidiki Dembélé.

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. 

Through her interest in exploring music from the Balkans Hannah founded ‘The Rubber Duck Orchestra’, a Manchester-based Balkan Band that weaves together elements of Balkan, Roma, Klezmer and Swing. Recent performances include TedX at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Music Room and headline appearances at WOMAD, Boomtown Fair Festival, Bristol’s Invisible Circus and Birmingham’s Hot Club de Swing. 

Promoting inclusivity, access and a wider engagement within the Arts is a focus of her work and Hannah works with a range of organisations to design and deliver creative outreach projects with different communities. As a chamber musician she has spent many years designing 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 music. Through her residency in Bethlehem, Palestine (2009 / 2010) and through her subsequent work with Manchester Camerata, Opera North, The Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester Art Gallery, Clonter Opera Theatre, DIY Theatre, Manchester International Roots Orchestra, Made by Mortals and Music Action International, Hannah’s work focuses on delivering participant-led creative projects alongside staff training and mentoring.  

In 2014 Hannah was appointed Fellow in Creative and Professional Practice at the Royal Northern College of Music and in 2015 was made Senior Lecturer of Clarinet at Leeds College of Music.