Yorkshire-born Dr Hannah French is a broadcaster and author.

She presents BBC Radio 3's The Early Music Show, Saturday Breakfast, and live concerts from Wigmore Hall and the BBC Proms.
 

Her first book, Sir Henry Wood Champion of J.S. Bach (Boydell Press, 2019) has been described as ‘utterly absorbing’, and ‘a fascinating contribution to the emerging history of the early music revival’. Faber will publish The Rolling Year: Listening to the Seasons with Vivaldi on 6 November 2025.           

Hannah has given pre-concert talks for a variety of music organisations (Kings Place, Oxford International Song Festival, Tafelmusik), hosted literary events (Hay Festival, Folkestone Literary Festival), award ceremonies (RPS), and interviews (Insights for the Royal Ballet and Opera). She’s served on a variety of jury panels (REMA, Royal Philharmonic Society, BBC Music Magazine) and both presented and appeared as a music expert on TV (BBC2, BBC 4, Sky Arts).

Hannah graduated from Birmingham University before studying baroque flute at the Royal Academy of Music and completing her PhD at the University of Leeds. For 12 years she was a Lecturer and Tutor at the Royal Academy of Music, during which time she also served as External Examiner and Advisor at the University of Chichester; and whilst living in Canada taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto. 

A former founder trustee of Continuo Foundation, Hannah now serves on the Advisory Board for Haringey Young Musicians and is honorary president of the Leodis Consort. 

She has hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and advocates for greater accessibility in the arts.