Katie Targett Adams
Encyclopedia
Katie Targett-Adams and is a singer-songwriter-MC and Celtic harpist. She has released 6 albums and has enjoyed most success singing in Chinese in China.
and attended St. George's School, Edinburgh
where she was Deputy Head of School (1996-7) and is currently a Governor. She learnt the clarsach
( the Celtic harp) outwith school and soon became known for her singing and playing. In 1994 Katie entered and won the BBC's first ever Junior MasterChef
. After leaving St. George's, Katie read Modern and Medieval Languages at Hertford College, Oxford
, at the University of Oxford
, where she began to combine language and music. Her first performance came in the form of an invitation from the Scottish Tourist Board, Visitscotland
, to showcase her talent in Washington D.C. while sitting her finals at Oxford in 2001.
in 2003 who invited her to sing at the Nanning International Folk Arts Festival in China in 2003 where she played to audiences of 10,000 people. The success of this tour led her to headline at the Shanghai
Baoshan Festival the following year plus give her own solo debut concert in Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall in 2005. Katie released her first album with Scottish Storyteller, David Campbell, in 2003 and went on to produce her first solo album, Let Me Play Among the Stars, in 2004, produced by New York producer, Shane Koss. Although the sound is generally considered young at times it was picked up by the Scottish record company, River Records, who modified and re-branded the album to create the more successful KT-A. Katie was awarded Music and Culture Icon for Scotland by VisitBritain
in 2004.
Katie continued to perform in Scotland, singing at the Opening of the Scottish Parliament building
attended by Her Majesty the Queen
in 2004 and representing the First Minister of Scotland
in many official capacities at home, in the US and in China. A performance which put her on the map was singing at J.K. Rowling's famous launch of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in Edinburgh Castle
in 2006. Katie performed year after year in the Edinburgh Fringe
Festival and was the first ever performer to have a solo show in Edinburgh Castle for the Edinburgh Festival.
Katie controversially became known as a female artist who would not give in to 'casting couch' methods when she walked out on a management deal with Mel Bush, creator of the violin star, Vanessa-Mae
. Katie was joined by other female recording artists in this vision such as the teenage choir group, All Angels
, who all felt simply using sex to boost falling record sales was not justifiable.
Katie's continued popularity in China led her to be featured on BBC
World's Destination Music with her rock band when she returned to perform in Nanning in 2006. Her last CD ( 2007), Hush hush...features a Chinese song by Tsai Qin. Blending language and song had now become part of her identity. In 2006 Katie's rendition of Scotland the Brave
took 2nd place during Scotland's national campaign by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
to vote for the most popular Scottish anthem. The Shipping Forecast, a track devised and written by Katie Targett-Adams and London producer, Kevin Malpass, made Katie a winner of the UK Songwriting Contest 2007. Katie, runner up for Olympic Torch Bearer at the 2008 Summer Olympics
, performed for the British athletes and the British Prime Minister, The Rt Honourable Gordon Brown
, in Beijing
in August 2008.
In 2007 Katie moved to live permanently in Hong Kong becoming the founder of the dance movement, Ceroc
, in Asia. Katie runs the Ceroc Asia brand in Hong Kong and Singapore. Whilst in Hong Kong Katie wrote the song《新的未来 or Day by Day to help raise money and awareness for the survivors of the devastating Sichuan earthquake in 2008. Sponsored by Heng An Standard Life the song was launched at the British Ambassador's Residence in Beijing and then toured Sichuan. All proceeds were donated to purchasing musical instruments for the school children at the epicentre of the earthquake in Wenchuan.
Katie critical acclaim in Asia led her to perform in China in 2009 for the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond
and in 2010 for both Alex Salmond and the Irish President Mary McAleese on their respective official ministerial visits. Katie also represented Celtic culture at the Irish Pavilion of the Shanghai Expo with a series of recitals. In 2011 Katie gave a 2nd solo concert at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing accompanied by Irish band Ciorras which led to widespread coverage in the Chinese press. She also became the only Western performer at the Phoenix Television
15 Year Anniversary Celebrations in the Great Hall
of the Forbidden City
in Beijing.
As a leading light in Celtic Culture in the East Katie continues to perform across Asia
as a modern-day minstrel promoting the image of the Celtic harp and Celtic culture as a modern and contemporary instrument. She has been dubbed the 'Celtic Princess'. Katie plays a Pilgrim Harp and the Harpsicle
Let Me Play Among the Stars ( 2004)
Kt-A ( 2004)
The Sound of Scotland ( 2006)
Hush hush...(2007)
Imaginary Friend (2007)
Biography
Katie grew up in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and attended St. George's School, Edinburgh
St. George's School, Edinburgh
St. George's School is an all-girls independent school situated in Ravelston, Edinburgh, Scotland.The curriculum is based on the Scottish education system but also uses aspects of the English education system, for example A-Levels are available in sixth form....
where she was Deputy Head of School (1996-7) and is currently a Governor. She learnt the clarsach
Clàrsach
Clàrsach or Cláirseach , is the generic Gaelic word for 'a harp', as derived from Middle Irish...
( the Celtic harp) outwith school and soon became known for her singing and playing. In 1994 Katie entered and won the BBC's first ever Junior MasterChef
Junior MasterChef
Junior MasterChef is a British game show in which ten to twelve year olds must compete to be crowned Junior MasterChef. It began on BBC One on 10 May 2010. it is a spin-off from the television series MasterChef...
. After leaving St. George's, Katie read Modern and Medieval Languages at Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
, at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, where she began to combine language and music. Her first performance came in the form of an invitation from the Scottish Tourist Board, Visitscotland
VisitScotland
VisitScotland is Scotland's national tourism agency. It is a public body, with offices in Edinburgh, Inverness, London as well as other parts of Scotland...
, to showcase her talent in Washington D.C. while sitting her finals at Oxford in 2001.
Career
Katie was spotted by the Chinese Cultural Ambassador to London whilst performing at Stirling CastleStirling Castle
Stirling Castle, located in Stirling, is one of the largest and most important castles, both historically and architecturally, in Scotland. The castle sits atop Castle Hill, an intrusive crag, which forms part of the Stirling Sill geological formation. It is surrounded on three sides by steep...
in 2003 who invited her to sing at the Nanning International Folk Arts Festival in China in 2003 where she played to audiences of 10,000 people. The success of this tour led her to headline at the Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
Baoshan Festival the following year plus give her own solo debut concert in Beijing's Forbidden City Concert Hall in 2005. Katie released her first album with Scottish Storyteller, David Campbell, in 2003 and went on to produce her first solo album, Let Me Play Among the Stars, in 2004, produced by New York producer, Shane Koss. Although the sound is generally considered young at times it was picked up by the Scottish record company, River Records, who modified and re-branded the album to create the more successful KT-A. Katie was awarded Music and Culture Icon for Scotland by VisitBritain
VisitBritain
VisitBritain is the name used by the British Tourist Authority, the tourist board of Great Britain incorporated under the Development of Tourism Act 1969....
in 2004.
Katie continued to perform in Scotland, singing at the Opening of the Scottish Parliament building
Scottish Parliament Building
The Scottish Parliament Building is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Edinburgh. Construction of the building commenced in June 1999 and the Members of the Scottish Parliament held their first debate in the new building on 7...
attended by Her Majesty the Queen
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
in 2004 and representing the First Minister of Scotland
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
in many official capacities at home, in the US and in China. A performance which put her on the map was singing at J.K. Rowling's famous launch of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince in Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
in 2006. Katie performed year after year in the Edinburgh Fringe
Edinburgh Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest arts festival. Established in 1947 as an alternative to the Edinburgh International Festival, it takes place annually in Scotland's capital, in the month of August...
Festival and was the first ever performer to have a solo show in Edinburgh Castle for the Edinburgh Festival.
Katie controversially became known as a female artist who would not give in to 'casting couch' methods when she walked out on a management deal with Mel Bush, creator of the violin star, Vanessa-Mae
Vanessa-Mae
Vanessa-Mae Vanakorn Nicholson , known professionally as Vanessa-Mae , is an internationally known British violinist. Her music style is self-described as "violin techno-acoustic fusion", as several of her albums prominently feature the techno style...
. Katie was joined by other female recording artists in this vision such as the teenage choir group, All Angels
All Angels
All Angels are a British classical crossover group formed in 2006, consisting of Daisy Chute, Rachel Fabri, Melanie Nakhla andCharlotte Ritchie....
, who all felt simply using sex to boost falling record sales was not justifiable.
Katie's continued popularity in China led her to be featured on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
World's Destination Music with her rock band when she returned to perform in Nanning in 2006. Her last CD ( 2007), Hush hush...features a Chinese song by Tsai Qin. Blending language and song had now become part of her identity. In 2006 Katie's rendition of Scotland the Brave
Scotland the Brave
"Scotland the Brave" is a Scottish patriotic song. It was one of several songs considered an unofficial national anthem of Scotland.Scotland the Brave is also the authorised pipe band march of The British Columbia Dragoons of the Canadian Forces, and is played during the Pass in Review at Friday...
took 2nd place during Scotland's national campaign by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotland's national symphony orchestra. Based in Glasgow, the 89-member professional orchestra also regularly performs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and abroad. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company has performed full-time since 1950,...
to vote for the most popular Scottish anthem. The Shipping Forecast, a track devised and written by Katie Targett-Adams and London producer, Kevin Malpass, made Katie a winner of the UK Songwriting Contest 2007. Katie, runner up for Olympic Torch Bearer at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, performed for the British athletes and the British Prime Minister, The Rt Honourable Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
, in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in August 2008.
In 2007 Katie moved to live permanently in Hong Kong becoming the founder of the dance movement, Ceroc
Ceroc
Ceroc is a partner dance best described as a fusion of Salsa and Jive, but without the complicated footwork. It is derived from many other dances including French Jive, Swing, Lindy Hop, and Rock and Roll, the main change being simplified footwork which makes it more accessible to beginners.The...
, in Asia. Katie runs the Ceroc Asia brand in Hong Kong and Singapore. Whilst in Hong Kong Katie wrote the song《新的未来 or Day by Day to help raise money and awareness for the survivors of the devastating Sichuan earthquake in 2008. Sponsored by Heng An Standard Life the song was launched at the British Ambassador's Residence in Beijing and then toured Sichuan. All proceeds were donated to purchasing musical instruments for the school children at the epicentre of the earthquake in Wenchuan.
Katie critical acclaim in Asia led her to perform in China in 2009 for the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond
Alex Salmond
Alexander Elliot Anderson "Alex" Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and current First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National Party , having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Gordon...
and in 2010 for both Alex Salmond and the Irish President Mary McAleese on their respective official ministerial visits. Katie also represented Celtic culture at the Irish Pavilion of the Shanghai Expo with a series of recitals. In 2011 Katie gave a 2nd solo concert at the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing accompanied by Irish band Ciorras which led to widespread coverage in the Chinese press. She also became the only Western performer at the Phoenix Television
Phoenix Television
Phoenix Satellite Television Holdings Ltd or Phoenix Television is a Hong Kong-based Mandarin Chinese and Cantonese television broadcaster that serves the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong along with other markets with substantial Chinese viewers...
15 Year Anniversary Celebrations in the Great Hall
Great Hall
Great Hall may refer to* Great hall, the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or large manor house* Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Square, Beijing* Great Hall of the University of Sydney, Australia* Cooper_Union#The_Great_Hall, New York...
of the Forbidden City
Forbidden City
The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is located in the middle of Beijing, China, and now houses the Palace Museum...
in Beijing.
As a leading light in Celtic Culture in the East Katie continues to perform across Asia
Musical style
Katie is seen to be modernising the image of the clarsach by singing a variety of musical styles from pop to jazz, Celtic to opera. Her iconic pure voice perhaps lends itself to beautiful ballads.Personal life
Katie's continues to live in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
as a modern-day minstrel promoting the image of the Celtic harp and Celtic culture as a modern and contemporary instrument. She has been dubbed the 'Celtic Princess'. Katie plays a Pilgrim Harp and the Harpsicle
Albums
Scotland in Love ( 2003)Let Me Play Among the Stars ( 2004)
Kt-A ( 2004)
The Sound of Scotland ( 2006)
Hush hush...(2007)
Imaginary Friend (2007)