top-notch orchestral harpists

Log in to your Harp Column account to post or reply in the forums. If you don’t have an account yet, you’ll need to email us to set one up.

This topic has 17 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 16 years, 10 months ago by Saul Davis Zlatkovski.

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 18 total)

1 2 →

Author

Posts
October 17, 2009 at 1:57 am #151302

Jerusha Amado
Participant

Hi everyone!

Who are some of the most exemplary harpists of the orchestral world, in your opinion?

Jerusha

October 17, 2009 at 1:11 pm #151303

william-weber
Participant

Ann Hobson-Pilot, to begin with. I heard her play Debussy’s “Dances Sacred and Profane”, and IIRC, that harp part was originally written for a Pleyel. That’s a lot of accidentals in not a lot of time!

October 17, 2009 at 7:37 pm #151304

Elizabeth Volpé Bligh
Participant

Beatrice Schroeder Rose is my hero for writing that great book The Harp in the Orchestra!

October 17, 2009 at 10:48 pm #151305

Saul Davis Zlatkovski
Participant

Margarita Montanaro. I am more familiar with the players of the past: Zighera, Costello, Druzinsky, Chalifoux, Mainzer, and others. I haven’t heard many of the orchestras since the positions turned over. Margarita has a remarkable sense of tone color and ability to be in sync with the orchestra. She plays extremely musically, very artistically, and many concertgoers have remarked on that to me.

October 17, 2009 at 11:10 pm #151306

Jerusha Amado
Participant

Thanks to all for replying!

October 20, 2009 at 2:06 am #151307

william-weber
Participant

Judy Rose banged out crystal-clear harmonics in Concord Symphony’s performance of Holst’s “Uranus, the Magician” this past weekend. I am told she teaches at Longy School.

October 23, 2009 at 12:01 am #151308

WJMinDC@comcast.net
Participant

William, I’m quite certain the name of the harpist you mention is Judy Ross.

October 23, 2009 at 2:56 am #151309

william-weber
Participant

My typing mistake – Judy Ross it was.

October 23, 2009 at 3:10 pm #151310

tony-morosco
Participant

Doug Rioth of the San Francisco Symphony. I have hard him play with the SF symphony for years. He is a great soloist and a great orchestral player. My only complaint is that the symphony doesn’t do nearly enough harp concertos to show off his talent, but of course I am biased on that account.

October 26, 2009 at 2:17 am #151311

Harp One
Participant

Absolutely, The Great Sarah Bullen!!!!!
10 years with New York Philharmonic and now with Chicago Symphony.

I don`t know about 1960s or 1970s when the competition was not —-.

October 26, 2009 at 3:23 am #151312

barbara-brundage
Participant

>I don`t know about 1960s or 1970s when the competition was not —-.

So you think that Druzinsky, Chalifoux, Costello, Zighera, Rosen, Loman, Ellis, Watkins, et al were a bunch of slouches? Interesting perspective.

There have always been more extraordinary harpists than orchestral jobs. I have to say I’m puzzled by this entire thread: you don’t get a major symphony job if you aren’t “extraordinary”, never did.

October 26, 2009 at 2:44 pm #151313

Jerusha Amado
Participant

I know a harpist (whom I won’t name) of a major symphony who isn’t extraordinary, and even she would admit that she isn’t.

October 26, 2009 at 3:01 pm #151314

barbara-brundage
Participant

Well, I think it’s partly a question of ‘extraordinary at what’, too, Jerusha. Anyone who can deal with the incredible demands of that kind of schedule and keep the gig *is* extraordinary in at least some ways. 🙂

October 26, 2009 at 3:17 pm #151315

Jerusha Amado
Participant

<>

Yes, absolutely!

October 28, 2009 at 12:00 am #151316

Harp One
Participant

As a harpist myself, I do know there are lots of great harpists who play in the orchestra or not. That is my basic thinking.

It happens anywhere.. Someone works really hard and someone is just lucky.
But I could say luck is also “extraordinary at something”
Author

Posts