French composer Pierick Houdy died in March at the age of 92. He was one of the most prolific composers of his generation for the harp, and many of the pieces he wrote for our instrument have become part of the core classical repertoire. Pierick Houdy fell in love...
Mary-Elizabeth Collins died peacefully on Jan. 24, 2021. Mary-Elizabeth was blessed with an abundance of musical talent. She began harp lessons at the age of ten studying under renowned harpist Mildred Dilling. She started playing professionally at age 17 and became a...
Beloved harpist and mentor Mary Dropkin died peacefully on Jan. 8, 2021. Mary developed a love for the harp at an early age. She came from a strong legacy of great harpists such as Grace Follet, Susann McDonald, and Dorothy Remsen. She received her Bachelor of Music...
It was with great sadness that we heard of the death of harpist and scholar Osian Gwynn Ellis on Jan. 5, 2021. He was 92. Ellis was one of the leading harpists of the 20th century and appeared on the world’s major stages. He was a living legend in his native Wales,...
—by Alice Giles Judith Liber, harpist and beloved mentor to many, passed away in Israel on 19th August. A musician of great integrity and depth, she was considered by many conductors, including Leonard Bernstein and Zubin Mehta, to be one of the world’s leading...
The Welsh harpist Ann Griffiths died peacefully at her home in Raglan, South Wales on July 24th, 2020. Born in Caerphilly in 1934, she graduated with a Welsh degree from Cardiff University before obtaining her Premier Prix in 1958 from the Paris Conservatoire under...
Brook Boddie, harpist, organist, pianist, arranger and composer, passed away unexpectedly on July 15, 2020 from cardiac arrest, at the age of 51. Brook was not only an extraordinarily gifted musician, but also an extremely caring, giving, and humble human being. Known...
Ruth Wickersham Papalia died peacefully on Oct. 8, at Aster Retirement Community Home in Cottage Grove, Wisc. She lived for six years with Parkinson’s disease without complaint. Whether we were playing trios together, working together in our administrative roles for...
“It has taken me a long time to realize that there comes a time when you quit playing notes and begin to play music.” Louise Lantz Trotter, 96, passed away on Oct. 17, 2019, with her family at her side. Born Sept. 4, 1923, in Port Arthur, Texas, Louise had classical...
Calista McKasson Kovin passed away on August 2, 2019, in Tacoma, Wash. She was an exceptionally gifted harpist, teacher, orchestral musician, and pianist. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music in harp performance, finishing...
