Stephen Dunstone is a composer, harpist and teacher based in Oxford. After playing the flute and piano from a tender age, then spending three years singing in the choir of Clare College Cambridge, he discovered the folk harp accidentally when he was looking for a harpsichord. It was a life-changing event: he bought the harp, abandoned the harpsichord, and never looked back.

The desire to create fun pieces for non-virtuoso pupils, and to get them all playing together, has resulted in the Harpo books of solo pieces and a steady stream of harp ensembles, which have been performed in such venues as Blenheim Palace and Windsor Castle, as well as at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival; they’re also in the repertoire of the National Youth Harp Orchestra of Great Britain.

Additionally, his fascination as a teacher with how the young brain masters, or struggles to master, the varied skills necessary for a musician, has led him to create the Harpo Beginners series (for all-round musicianship), Racing Training (focusing on sight reading), and Clap Battles (to develop rhythm skills).

He also plays the hammered dulcimer and has written prize-winning radio plays for the BBC.