harpcolumn

Megan Conley named Principal Harp in Houston

Megan Conley named Principal Harp in Houston

Megan Conley is the new Principal Harpist with the Houston Symphony, following an audition process that began in February, 2014. The audition included four rounds: two rounds in February were screened, followed by two unscreened rounds in April. "The semi-finals...

Marianne Channon Welshman dies at 102

Marianne Channon Welshman dies at 102

Harpist Marianne Channon Welshman died on August 18, 2014, at 102. Marianne began playing the harp at 14, studying with Frances Calder in Providence, R.I. At age 19, Marianne went on to the Fontainebleau School of Music, in France, where she studied with Marcel...

2015 Lyon & Healy Awards Announced

2015 Lyon & Healy Awards Announced

Lyon & Healy President Antonio Forero issued an invitation to harpists to participate in the 2015 Lyon & Healy Awards, to be held June 19 and 20 prior to the American Harp Society Student Institute at Utah State University in Logan, UT. The award competition...

Winners of the Harp Carnivale Student Harp Ensemble Contest

Winners of the Harp Carnivale Student Harp Ensemble Contest

The American Harp Society announced three winners in its Harp Carnivale Student Harp Ensemble Contest. The winning ensembles, which were selected after submitting an application and recording last spring, performed at the AHS's 41st National Conference, held in New...

4 Girls 4 Harps 15th Anniversary Year!

4 Girls 4 Harps 15th Anniversary Year!

It's our birthday! And our gift is new music To celebrate our 15th anniversary year in 2015, we are commissioning composers Alissa Firsova, Nicola LeFanu, Ayanna Witter-Johnson and Savourna Stevenson to collaborate on a substantial new piece for harp quartet.As a...

Margarita Csonka Montanaro retires from The Philadelphia Orchestra

Margarita Csonka Montanaro retires from The Philadelphia Orchestra

This week marks the retirement of Margarita Csonka Montanaro after 51 years as a harpist with The Philadelphia Orchestra. Montanaro was hired by Eugene Ormandy, and also worked with Leopold Stokowski. In 1994 she was named co-principal harpist, working alongside...

14 Sequenzas

14 Sequenzas

  I've always been a fan of contemporary music. Crazy, I know, but it's true. There's something about the innovation, the new ideas about what music could become, and the incredible variety found in new music that has appealed to me ever since I began my musical...

Lewisville Lake Symphony Competition Welcomes Harpists

Lewisville Lake Symphony Competition Welcomes Harpists

Harpists are invited to enter the 2015 Lewisville Lake Symphony International Competition for Strings. The competition is open to to violinists, violists, cellists, bassists, and harpists ages 18–30 who are planning a professional career in music and are currently...

Camac Festival Goes to Perpignan

Camac Festival Goes to Perpignan

Camac Harps has announced the location of their annual festival, to be held this year in Perpignan on the Southeast coast of France. The festival runs October 17–19, 2014, and includes a lineup of classical, jazz, and Celtic harp performances. Featured performers...

Catriona McKay and Christ Stout Win Herald Angel Award

Catriona McKay and Christ Stout Win Herald Angel Award

Scottish harp and fiddle duo Catriona McKay and Chris Stout have won a Herald Angel award at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. McKay and Stout, who have worked together as a duo for almost 20 years and also appear together in the Shetland band Fiddlers’ Bid, won...