Helen Grime

Helen Grime (born 1981) is a Scottish composer of contemporary classical music. Her work, Virga, was selected as one of the best ten new classical works of the 2000s by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She is married to the composer and pianist Huw Watkins.

Early life Grime's grandparents were music teachers in Macduff, Aberdeenshire. Her mother also taught music, at St. Margaret's School, Edinburgh. Though she was born in York, England, Grime's parents returned to Scotland with her when she was a baby, and she spent her early years in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.

As a youth, Grime learned the oboe with John Anderson, whilst her sister Frances learned violin. Grime began music studies at age 9 at the City of Edinburgh Music School, and continued at age 17 at St Mary's Music School. She played the oboe in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland. She started to compose from age 12, where her teachers included Hafliði Hallgrímsson.

Grime continued formal studies at the Royal College of Music (RCM), where she studied composition with Julian Anderson and Edwin Roxburgh and played oboe in the RCM Sinfonietta and RCM Baroque Orchestra. She earned first-class honours and a master's degree from the RCM in 2004. Her other composition teachers included Sally Beamish and Jennifer Martin. A Cold Spring (2009) was commissioned by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and premiered 20 June at Aldeburgh Festival, conducted by Oliver Knussen. In February 2011, she was named the next associate composer of The Hallé Orchestra, starting in autumn 2011, for a contracted period of three years.

Personal life

Grime is married to the composer and pianist Huw Watkins, who has performed her works in concert.

She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to music.

Selected compositions Stage Doorstepping Susanna, chamber opera for soprano, counter-tenor, bass, bass clarinet, double bass and percussion (2002)

Orchestral Virga (2007) Everyone Sang (2010) Night Songs (2012) Near Midnight (2012) Two Eardley Pictures (1. "Catterline in Winter," 2. "Snow") (2016) Woven Space (2017) Meditations on Joy (2019)

Concertante Oboe Concerto (2003) Clarinet Concerto (2009) Violin Concerto (2016) Piano Concerto (2017) Percussion Concerto (2019) Trumpet Concerto, night-sky-blue (2022)

Chamber and ensemble music 5 Miniatures (1996) To See the Summer Sky for violin and viola (2009) Luna for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, percussion and piano (2011) Oboe Quartet (2012) String Quartet No 1 (2014) String Quartet No 2 (2021)

Piano The Flash of Fireflies in Folds of Darkness (2004) Harp of the North (2004) Entwined Channels for 2 pianos (2006) 10 Miniatures (2009)

Vocal A Vision for soprano, clarinet, violin and cello (2000) A Last Look for soprano and piano (2002) In the Mist for tenor and piano (2008) Nobody Comes for voice and piano (2008)

Choral Lachrymae for chorus a cappella (2005) Missa Brevis for choir and organ (2023)