Marshall McGuire

Marshall McGuire is one of Australia’s most original and adventurous harpists, renowned for reshaping the boundaries of the instrument. With a fearless curiosity and a deep love for both classical tradition and contemporary innovation, he has built a career that challenges the conventional image of the harp—commissioning over 100 new works and collaborating with composers around the world to redefine what the harp can be.

Marshall studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, the Royal College of Music in London, and in Paris. He made his London debut at the Purcell Room as part of the Park Lane Group’s prestigious recital series. Since then, his performance journey has taken him far and wide—from a 12th-century chapel in Wales to beaches, caves, shearing sheds, and grand concert halls. Music in extraordinary locations is one of his enduring passions.

As a soloist, he has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, English String Orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and the Australia Ensemble. Festival appearances include Aldeburgh, Geneva, Brighton, Vienna, Milan, Huddersfield, WOMADalelaide, Huntington, Adelaide, and Melbourne. In 2010, he conducted Dido and Aeneas at the Macau International Music Festival.

Marshall has long been an integral part of Australia’s new music scene, especially through his long-standing association with the ELISION ensemble. His work has been recognised with numerous accolades, including fellowships from the State Library of Victoria, the Churchill Trust, and the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Trust. He was also Artist-in-Residence at Bundanon in 2003.

A prolific recording artist, Marshall has released eight albums and received four ARIA nominations. His collaboration with recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey, Bower, won the ARIA Award for Best Classical Album (2021) and the AIR Award for Best Independent Classical Album (2022).

In addition to his performing career, Marshall has held influential leadership roles in Australia’s music scene. He was Director of Programming at Melbourne Recital Centre from 2015 to 2025, and is currently Chair of the Australian Music Centre. In 2020, he curated Chamber Landscapes for the Adelaide Festival, bringing his distinctive curatorial voice to a weekend of immersive musical experiences.