Arizona harpist Claire Thai premiered her two-movement Harp Concerto in March, commissioned by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra (TSO) in 2019. Thai spent several years honing her composition skills as part of the TSO’s Young Composers Project, and the harp concerto is...
Berlin-based harpist Joel von Lerber is releasing his second album, Légende, on May 27 on the Claves Records label. The album will be available on all platforms, including Spotify and Amazon Music, and through Claves Records. We reached out to von Lerber to learn more...
California harpist Gracie Sprout played the gig of a lifetime earlier this year when she accompanied singer Jhené Aiko on "American the Beautiful" in front of a Super Bowl audience of more than 112 million. As the TV cameras brought Sprout and her pedal harp into...
The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London has appointed Catrin Finch as its Head of Harp, beginning in the 2022–2023 academic year. We reached out to Finch to find out more about her recent appointment. What are your goals as a teacher and department head at RAM? My...
Oberlin Conservatory of Music recently appointed Diane Evans as Visiting Associate Professor of Harp, beginning in the fall of 2022. Evans will replace Oberlin harp professor Yolanda Kondonassis when she retires at the end of the spring 2022 semester. We reached out...
Colombian-born harpist Edmar Castañeda released his seventh album, Family, on May 21, featuring a blend of original compositions and traditional Colombian songs with his wife, Andrea Tierra, as guest vocalist. We talked to Castañeda to learn more about the inspiration...
Instrument maker Mike Baldwin has released Harp Making in Late-Georgian London, available from Amazon and Bookshop.org. Through historical papers, 19th-century etchings, and patent drawings, Baldwin explores the contributions of less-familiar instrument makers to the...
Stephanie Curcio's new book, American Harpist: An Historical and Personal Journey, is now available from Stephanie Curcio Publications. We caught up with Curcio to find out what inspired her project. What was your personal motivation for writing American Harpist? I...
A Harpist's Guide to Effortless and Organic Playing, a new method book by Heidi Lehwalder, is now available from Vanderbilt Music. Lehwalder, who was the last student of legendary pedagogueCarlos Salzedo, gained fame in the harp world by winning a prize at the...
Jana Boušková’s new album Má vlast, released on Supraphon on May 14, interprets the great music of Czech composers for solo harp. Boušková has transcribed the music she loves to make it shine on her instrument. With music from Smetana, Dvořák, and Suk, she pays homage...
