To meet Harriet Stubbs in person is to be swept up in a wave of energy, enthusiasm and ambition.
One might be forgiven for thinking she is too good to be true, yet her resume speaks volumes to the contrary. Therefore, when she speaks about an ambitious proposition to host a festival in Cayman on a stage built in open water, it isn’t just a pipe dream. Her plan is to host an inaugural week-long event in January 2024, featuring “everything from opera to jazz, ballet and rock ‘n’ roll music” for 1,000 people a night.
Based on Stubbs’ background and experience with numerous unique projects, it seems that this vision could become a reality. That being said, she recognises that no woman is an island, and when it comes to a production of this magnitude, you need to call upon local knowledge and talent to create a collaborative effort. She has therefore been working closely with arts organisations in Cayman, as well as private and government entities, to steer the project.
Child prodigy
Looking at Stubbs’ biography, it is obvious that music has been her passion from the very beginning. Born in East Sussex, she started playing the piano at 2 years old, and was performing full-time by the age of 4 – the very definition of a child prodigy. Since then, she has gone from strength to strength, recording albums and headlining concerts all over the world.
She has lived in New York since she was 21, although travel is a big part of her career. The Cayman Compass caught up with her on a recent visit to Cayman, where she spoke about her life, her connection with the island, and why she is so driven to make her festival here a reality.
What are some of the highlights of your career up until now?
There have been lots of wonderful moments! Being voted Top Three Pianists in Britain at the age of 13 for ITV’s ‘Britain’s Brilliant Prodigies’ is probably my earliest memory of a ‘milestone’, and it came at the same time as being selected to perform in the Warner Bros film ‘Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban’.
As an adult, addressing the UN about the future of classical music the day after my debut at Carnegie Hall was a pretty exciting weekend, as well as addressing Congress on behalf of The Recording Academy.
My first record deal with Naxos Of America and subsequent release of my debut album ‘Heaven and Hell’; ‘The Doors Of Perception’ produced by Russ Titelman and featuring Marianne Faithful was the best year of my life both before and after – just so much fun.
Being awarded a British Empire Medal for service to the community during the pandemic where I gave 250 concerts out of my window, and being awarded Top 30 Professionals In The Arts by Musical America of 2022. It’s been an amazing ride so far.
How did you become connected with Cayman?
I am a divemaster and have a huge love of the ocean. I regularly contribute to scientific data, free diving with orcas in the Arctic and basking sharks in the Hebrides.
What brought you here?
A friend surprised me with a trip to Cayman for my birthday, knowing that I love diving and being aware of Cayman’s accessibility from NYC! The gift was a celebration of the release of my 2018 album tour and Grammy campaign coming to a close.
I fell in love with the island and just kept coming back.
Why are you interested in making this festival happen, specifically with a stage out in the water?
It is an amalgamation of my life’s work and loves. Cayman and NYC; music and the ocean; and combining my abilities as a musician with my entrepreneurial and business acumen. I have a long history of curating shows and have brought together the very best of the business and cultural sectors to make this a success.
Cayman has an extraordinary amount of local talent, and I am so excited about the idea of having those musicians and performers working with international artists, both on stage and through educational experiences planned throughout the week.
Harrison Parrott Artist Management will provide our global artists, and public relations and marketing will be run by UK-based Unison Media.
This festival will also have global reach, thanks to our press relationships with HBO, Sky Arts, the BBC, Good Morning America and The New York Times. The idea is to fully broadcast and document the journey of creating this incredible event.
What has the local interest been so far?
There has so much excitement and support – I’ve been working on this for a number of years, and have met with a great number of people about it. We can’t wait to bring this event to Cayman and highlight what a beautiful island it is, while promoting the wealth of talent there.
How do you feel it will benefit Cayman?
It will be a zero-waste festival, so it will not be contributing to the landfill in any way. It will provide education, exposure and artistic mentorship to young Caymanians, and promotes the health of the ocean. This is one of my personal priorities, as I have actually worked on the CCMI coral reef nurseries in Little Cayman.
Local companies will be involved in the project – so it creates jobs – and they, in turn, will be given direct access to high net worth business and culture VIPs who will be investing in the island.
How can interested parties get more information?
People can reach out to [email protected] for production and to me directly at [email protected].
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