harpcolumn

Harp Column Staff
Dr. Ron D. Price 1940–2013

Dr. Ron D. Price 1940–2013

Healing Harps Founder —by Sunita Staneslow After suffering from a debilitating neurological disorder, Ron Price noticed that his symptoms diminished when he played the harp. This discovery led him to explore the benefits of playing the harp with others who suffered...

Opening Night at the Dutch Harp Festival

Opening Night at the Dutch Harp Festival

The Dutch Harp Festival is now in full swing, here in Utrecht! The quarter-finals of the competition took place over the past two days—Wednesday and Thursday. Nineteen competitors played their set programs consisting of a prelude of their choice by J.S. Bach, the...

Storytelling at the Dutch Harp Festival

Storytelling at the Dutch Harp Festival

—by Elizabeth Jaxon The theme of this year’s Dutch Harp Festival (Feb 26—Mar 2) is “No Harp, No Story”, which makes reference to the traditional role of the harpist as storyteller and bearer of news. Wandering musicians, carrying a harp and singing tales of the events...

Dutch Harp Festival, Feb 26–Mar 2

Dutch Harp Festival, Feb 26–Mar 2

—by Elizabeth Jaxon I'm writing to you from the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands, where the Dutch Harp Festival and Competition will be held starting just next week. This is the third edition of a festival which has been a fresh addition to the agenda of worldwide...

Jana Bouskova Plays Gliere

Jana Bouskova Plays Gliere

Many thanks to our friend Jana Bouskova for sharing her recent performance of the Gliere Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, Op. 74. Jana performed on Feb. 6 with the North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Radek Baborák. The third movement " Allegro Giocoso" is...

All that Jazz

All that Jazz

Brooklyn harpist Brandee Younger channels Dorothy Ashby at her "Tribute to Dorothy Ashby" concert last month at New York's DROM music venue. The tune is Younger's own "Respected Destroyer," which presenter Revive Music likened to a cross between Chuck Brown, Ravel,...

Remembering Ursala Holliger

Remembering Ursala Holliger

Ursula Holliger died on January 21, at the age of 76, following a long illness. She was the wife of Swiss composer Heinz Holliger. A soloist and chamber musician who specialized in contemporary music, Holliger had works written for her by composers such as Elliott...

Happy Birthday Mozart

Happy Birthday Mozart

Happy Birthday Mozart! As we all know, he didn't leave harpists much to remember him by, so we have to beg, borrow, and steal wherever we can. Here's the Lipman Harp Duo performing his Sonata in C—originally for piano—transcribed by Phyllis Schlomovitz. The performers...

Harp in the Spotlight!

Harp in the Spotlight!

The Internet is abuzz with talk of the harp! Everyone from Cosmo to the Huffington Post is tweeting about Edinburgh native Anna McLuckie's performance this week on BBC One's "The Voice" reality show. The 17-year old harpist, currently a student at The City of...

The Latest HC is Here!

The Latest HC is Here!

The latest issue of HC is here, featuring our interview with the amazing Fleisher Family! When we heard that piano legend Leon Fleisher would be conducting his three children and daughter in law in a four-harp performance of a concerto premiere with the Naples...

Happy Harmonics!

Happy Harmonics!

Looking for an example of great harmonic technique? Look no further than Elisabeth Plank's lovely rendition of "Serenade" Op. 83 by Parish Alvars. The Austrian harpist performs on the New Artist Series Jan. 16 at the Austrian Cultural Forum London. Read more about...

Summer Conference Plans Underway

Summer Conference Plans Underway

Two big harp conferences announced this week that plans are well underway for their summer events. The program is taking shape for the 12th World Harp Congress July 20–26, 2014, in Sydney, Australia. Conference committee chair Alice Giles has promised a program that...

Harp Improvisation (3) What is music improvisation?

Harp Improvisation (3) What is music improvisation?

Improvisation, composition and arranging are all creative process. The biggest difference between these three processes is the amount of time available while creating music. When we are composing and/or arranging music, we can take time to research, think, experiment...

USAIHC Announces Repertoire for 2016

USAIHC Announces Repertoire for 2016

The USA International Harp Competition has announced repertoire for its next competition, which will take place in summer, 2016, in Bloomington, Ind. The competition includes four stages, and all works must be performed by memory, with the exception of the 2015...

Anne Adams Dies

Anne Adams Dies

The American Harp Society has announced that harpist and benefactorAnne Adams died on Dec. 9, 2013. Anne Adams received the society's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007 along with her husband Burton, who died in Nov., 2012 (read more). She was the inspiration for the...

Hungarian Competition Names Winners

The 3rd International Harp Competition In Szeged, Hungary was held November 28–December 1. Prizes were awarded in three, age specific divisions as follows: Results of category Under 25 First Prize: Katrina Szederkényi (Canada/Hungary) Second Prize: Arianna Rossi...

Conrad Susa Dies

Conrad Susa Dies

Composer Conrad Susa died Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, at 78. Susa was a friend of the harp who wrote many great harp parts for works such as Carols and Lullabies; Christmas in the Southwest (Susa, Conrad) and Serenade for a Christmas Night (Susa, Conrad). Susa joined the...

about the author

The Harp Column Staff has been bringing you great editorial content, interviews, features, and reviews since 1993!