—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 harp events since its debut in 2010. I have been on board with this festival since I first met artistic director Remy van Kesteren in 2009 and was inspired to hear him talking about his innovative ideas for a daring new festival and competition format, organized entirely by students. The event has evolved greatly since then; the organization has adopted a more professional structure, but the festival’s bold and inventive character still shines through in the end result. Once again, I will be here reporting all the news as it unfolds. For anybody who can’t make it to Utrecht this month but is curious to follow the event, I will be blogging and posting photos (and hopefully videos too) on the official website of the DHF: www.harpfestival.nl. You can also keep in touch on Facebook and Twitter, and of course I will be making regular updates here at the Harp Column. See you soon!
