British harpist Daphne Boden passed away June 28 after a brief illness. She was 83. Born in Surrey on January 28, 1942, Boden served the international harp community as a member of the World Harp Congress Corporation and Board of Directors. The organization posted the following tribute written by its Associate Artistic Director Karen Vaughan (also a British harpist) on its social media channels:
“Daphne Boden studied at the Royal College of Music, London, with Marie Goossens, and with Mireille Flour at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, where she was awarded the Premier Prix. On her return she worked with Marisa Robles.
“Her parents, Leonard and Margaret Boden, were well-known artists who painted many portraits of the British royal family and no less than 10 portraits of Queen Elizabeth II. Daphne was invited to play privately for the queen and often played while her parents painted.
“At the start of her career she gave solo recitals and took her harp to schools around the country, but her teaching is undoubtedly her greatest legacy. She taught at the Royal College of Music for 55 years in both the junior and senior departments, at the Royal Academy of Music (1988–2002) and at The Purcell School for Young Musicians (from 1996). Generations of harpists have benefited from her thorough and dedicated approach and unfailing support.
“Daphne had a passion for wildlife (especially elephants!), visiting Kenya to work with the Born Free actress Virginia McKenna. She also loved horses and dogs.
“A great supporter of the United Kingdom Harp Association, Daphne served on the Corporation and Board of Directors of the World Harp Congress from 2002. For many Congresses she managed the Focus on Youth program.
“She will be missed in so many ways and by so many people.”
Former student Helen Leitner remembers her teacher’s warm and encouraging way. “She loved music, the harp, and her students; she always—and it is only writing now that I’ve realized this—spoke proudly of their achievements as theirs, not hers.
“She taught me disciplined service: to the text, to technique in order to transmit the text, to preparing that text for an audience. By that service, she made my love of music stronger than ever, more focused, more humble.
“They say that nobody forgets a good teacher. Daphne Boden was not just a good teacher: she was a great one, one of the greatest the harp has ever known. It was my privilege to learn from her.”
