Camac Harps, which has been making harps in France since 1972, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a festival Oct. 21–23. Held at Camac’s showroom in Paris, with special evening concerts at the Cité de la Musique. The festival is free to attend with advance online reservations.
Harpists from France, as well as from Japan, Turkey, the U.S., the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, will present music of a variety of genres, including classical, jazz, contemporary, Celtic, and avant-garde. The festival’s concerts feature works commissioned by Camac and its president Jakez François, including the world premiere of Bruno Mantovani’s Péripéties et conclusion, written for the 50th anniversary. The festival also highlights the publication of Erard: Empire of the Harp by Erard specialist Robert Adelson, curator of Camac’s historical harps collection.
Recognized by the French government for its excellence, craftsmanship, and expertise, Camac Harps has been an Entreprise du patrimoine vivant since 2006, and in 2022 it became one of the first holders of the Luthiers et facteurs de France label. Camac’s line of harps ranges from Bardic and Celtic instruments—the first type of harps the company manufactured in the 1970s—to concert, electric, and South American harps.
Check out the festival’s lineup, and learn more about Camac’s history, on the company’s website.
