After five very intense days, the Dutch Harp Festival and Competition concluded with a grand finale concert on Sunday: No Harp, No Glory! The three finalists of the competition performed with the Ludwig orchestra, under the direction of Ed Spanjaard. For this final...
Dr. Ron D. Price 1940–2013
Mar 1, 2014
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
Feb 28, 2014
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
Feb 21, 2014
—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
Feb 19, 2014
—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...
Remembering Deborah Hoffman
Feb 11, 2014
Deborah Hoffman 1960–2014 Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Principal Harpist Deborah Hoffman, principal harpist of the Metropolitan Opera, lost her battle with a rare lung condition in February at the age of 53. Deborah...
Remembering Ursala Holliger
Jan 28, 2014
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...
Grammy Music Educator Award Recipient is a Harpist
Jan 22, 2014
And the first-ever Grammy Music Educator Award goes to… a harpist! Kent Knappenberger, who teaches music at Westfield Academy and Central School, in Westfield, N.Y., is slated to receive the inaugural prize at a Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception...
Harp in the Spotlight!
Jan 14, 2014
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...
Summer Conference Plans Underway
Jan 2, 2014
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...












