ABOUT
ABOUT
Harry Castle is a British composer, tenor, and music director, currently studying for a DMA in composition at the University of Michigan with Evan Chambers, Roshanne Etezady and Kristin Kuster. He works at the intersection of contemporary classical, pop, jazz and musical theatre genres, and writes music as frequently at home in concert halls as it is in bars. Harry is particularly drawn to musical storytelling, and as an LGBTQ+ creative he is especially interested in telling stories that center queer and marginalized narratives.
As much in demand for his electronic music as his musical theatre work and pop/jazz originals and arrangements, Harry maintains a busy schedule of projects and commissions across a wide spectrum of musical styles. Some ongoing projects include State of Motion, an original musical exploring competition and success in the fashion influencing industry through the lens of a queer neurodivergent relationship, and I am your mother; this is your home, an extended work for soprano and ensemble, conceived and written in collaboration with t.r.h. (torri) blue, a Michigan-based writer, poet, artist, photographer, and advocate.
Harry is an experienced vocalist, with training in classical, choral, pop, musical theatre and jazz styles, as well as extended vocal techniques. Some recent performance highlights include Handel’s Messiah with Apollo’s Fire, performing solos in Craig Hella Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard with the U-M Chamber Choir, and touring with the Yale Schola Cantorum. Harry recorded six albums for Harmonia Mundi USA with the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, and works regularly as an ensemble vocalist and vocal coach.
As a music director, Harry has worked with many ensembles and casts: he particularly enjoys projects involving new work in contemporary classical, musical theatre or jazz idioms. Some recent highlights include a workshop performance of Siluetas by Robi Hager & Erlina Ortiz (U-M New Works Festival), Take Flight, a concert of brand new vocal and instrumental jazz at the U-M Museum of Art (Touch of Blue: New American Vocal Ensemble), and a concert of his own musical theatre work, Isn’t It Queer? (McIntosh Theatre, Ann Arbor).
Photo credit: Korrin Dering
A passionate educator, Harry brings his practical experience and poly-stylistic expertise into the classroom. College-level classes he has taught include composition for non-majors, aural skills for music majors, theory & ear training for musical theatre majors, and musical theatre composition. Harry is well-versed in Western music theory and musicology, but finds the most joy leading classes on topics such as vocal jazz arranging, the history of musical theatre, vocal jazz and contemporary a cappella ensemble skills, and musical theatre ensemble techniques. Harry is currently Visiting Assistant Professor of Drama at Syracuse University. He has held graduate teaching positions in the Composition department at Yale University and the Theory department at the University of Michigan, as well as forming part of the collaborative piano staff for the Musical Theatre department at U-M.
Prior to moving to Michigan in 2021, Harry graduated with a BA in Music from Clare College, University of Cambridge (studying composition with Richard Causton), and an MA in Composition, Theory and Musical Theatre Writing from Yale University (studying with Kathryn Alexander, Konrad Kaczmarek, Jeanine Tesori & Scott Frankel). He stayed on at Yale for an additional year as a Research Scholar, studying groove and writing electronic music. Harry’s music has been heard at the BBC Proms, the New World Symphony, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, the National Centre for Early Music and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and has been performed by Eleni Katz, the University of Michigan Chamber Choir, the Marea Duo, the Albatross Duo, Margaret Lancaster, the Yale Symphony Orchestra, the Da Capo Chamber Players, the English Cornett & Sackbut Ensemble, and chamber ensembles of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Aurora Orchestra. Awards include: U-M Brehm Prize for Choral Composition, Made at the Red House Residency (Wild Plum Arts/Britten-Pears Foundation), Special Jury Prize (Yale in Hollywood Film Festival), Zodiac International Music Competition (Finalist), BBC Proms Young Composer of the Year, National Centre for Early Music Young Composers’ Award (Finalist), Clare College Carol Competition, Outstanding Arrangement Award (International Competition of Collegiate A Cappella), Paul Mellon Fellowship (Mellon Foundation).
Harry’s music is published in the Kurt Weill Foundation’s Lotte Lenya Songbook, and by Murphy Music Press.
Banner image credit: Xander De Vries