Freya Hartley

About

Having just completed a Professional Graduate Diploma in Musical Directing at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Freya is currently studying the RCS’ MA Musical Theatre: Musical Directing course. Prior to this, she graduated from Durham University with a BA (hons) in music where she developed a passion for composition and orchestration, specialising in historical compositional techniques. Whilst studying she worked as Musical Director on a variety of projects, such as Into The Woods (Tone Deaf Theatre Company), RENT (TDTC) and Anything Goes (Durham University Light Opera Group, Gala Theatre). She also musical directed the cabaret Undecided: A Musical Misadventure at the Edinburgh Fringe 2024, which she conceptualised with Durham University’s Musical Theatre Troupe. She gained further pit band experience playing keys 2 for the National Youth Music Theatre’s The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean in An Armchair (Leicester Curve) and more recently enjoyed working as a musical director on the RCS Juniors’ Youth Arts Festival Showcase (New Atheneum Theatre) as well as playing Keys 3 for She Loves Me (New Atheneum Theatre). 

Bio:

Pronouns: She/Her

Nationality: British

Visa Status: Permission to Work in the UK

Skills:

Instruments: Highly proficient pianist (Classical, MT, sight reading, keyboard conducting), violin

Arranging: Highly proficient orchestrator, arranger and copyist

Technology: Logic Pro, Pro Tools, QLab, Mainstage, Sibelius + other music notation software

Previous Qualifications: PGDip Musical Theatre Musical Directing, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; BA Music, Durham University

Work Experience:

Associate Musical Director/Arranger, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (dir. Aaron Lee Lambert)

Musical Director/Arranger, Undecided: A Musical Misadventure, Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024

Musical Director, Anything Goes, Gala Theatre, Durham

Assistant Musical Director/Keys 1, Into The Woods, Tone Deaf Theatre Co.

Musical Director, Kinky Boots, Durham University Light Opera Group

Musical Director/Pianist, Edges, Tone Deaf Theatre Co.

Keys 3, She Loves Me, RCS (dir. Vik Sivalingam)

Keys 2, The Boy Who Sailed The Ocean in An Armchair, National Youth Music Theatre (Leicester Curve) (dir. Hannah Chissick) 

Other Experience:

Assistant Musical Director/Keys, Les Misérables foundation workshop, RCS in association with Cameron Mackintosh (2026)

Musical Director, RCS Juniors Youth Arts Festival (2025)

Musical Theatre Tutor, Inter Performing Arts Academy (2025-2026)