After 14 years at the helm of the Somerset Folk Harp Festival, harpist Kathy DeAngelo is handing the baton to a new leader. We asked her to share some thoughts about her experiences as part of the festival and her plans for the future.
For those who haven’t heard about the Somerset Folk Harp Festival, could you tell us more about it?
Over 35 diverse presenters are on tap for some 200 live and pre-recorded video workshops that run online from July 1 to October 31, which includes [the Somerset Folk Harp Festival’s] traditional on-site festival event July 20–23 and a new second “live on Zoom” weekend July 29–30. Naturally, it covers a wide assortment of topics, from basics and fundamentals to many musical genres to the esoteric and eclectic. There’s something for every level of harp player. Our motto is “Narrow Your Focus, Expand Your Horizon.”
Have the mission and focus of the festival changed since its early years?
When Gerry Serviente created this festival 22 years ago, she wanted to bring harp players together and create a community of people to share their passion for the harp. I was a performer at the first festival and had already been directing the Harpers’ Escape Weekend for a decade and building a community there. I became Somerset’s concert manager the second year, which was my role until I took over the festival in 2008. In 2009 I expanded Somerset and diversified the presenters and the workshop offerings to draw in all kinds of people, all different ages, people who would be drawn to a broad variety of music. We’ve even hosted other harp conferences during our festival to open more doors for our attendees to other harp worlds.
Do you have any highlights or special memories from directing the Somerset Folk Harp Festival over the years?
I could write a book with 14 years of memories and behind-the-scenes episodes of what it’s like to run a huge event like Somerset. I’ve made so many good friends, and Somerset feels like our annual party and reunion. Seventy percent of attendees are alumni.
Since 2013 I’ve watched kids in our youth harp program grow up and be inspired. Some have gone off to do music in college, become professional musicians, and return to the festival. That’s priceless.
I’ve presented and shared time and made music with many of my harp icons. I love my staff, and I’ve treasured being with them every year. For 14 years I’ve sung “So Here’s to You” to close out the Saturday night concert, accompanied by whoever was the final act. That’s always special. It was especially poignant doing it in 2022 with my entire staff on stage and hearing the audience sing along after a two-year pandemic hiatus.
Are you entering full retirement or are you just stepping down as director of Somerset?
Having gotten Somerset through the pandemic with Somerset Online and successfully proving the hybrid model in 2022, this is the optimum time to transition Somerset to a younger person. I’ll be the festival’s consultant and will still be on staff. So I look forward to being the esteemed director emeritus at the festival and enjoying it without having to deal with all the headaches! I wouldn’t miss that party.
What’s next for you?
I’m going to continue teaching, of course, because I love it. My husband and I will continue to perform together and our “usual” music endeavors like Irish trad sessions, and projects with the Irish community here in the Philadelphia area will remain an integral part of our identity. I’ll have a lot more time to put together and promote my harp tour of Ireland trips. We’re finally going back with a group for St. Patrick’s week in Ireland. It’ll be fun. I’ll still be doing lots of music because that’s the air I breathe.
Who will be leading the next edition of the festival?
Maureen Buscareno, who’s been my concert manager and on staff since 2009, will lead Somerset into its next era. We’ve been meeting weekly since last November so she could get familiar with how I managed and juggled the hundreds of moving parts that make up the festival. She started talking to presenters and vendors for the 2023 festival as we were on-site in Parsippany [New Jersey] last summer. She’ll do a great job.
What can harpists look forward to in the 2023 festival?
Somerset will be hybrid again—that means it’ll be in-person in Parsippany July 20–23 and on Zoom at the same time. There’s a second weekend online-only that follows July 29–30. All “live” workshops are recorded and available for later replay so folks don’t have to worry about missing any workshops. The video library also opens on July 1. All of the recorded content is up until Oct. 31 for those who get the all-access ticket.
Maureen will reveal the presenter roster and the full program, including the extra add-ons, on New Year’s Day. As the pandemic continues to ebb, we’re hoping that we get even more people to do the festival in person. The vendor hall with all the harps is something we just can’t replicate online.
For more information about the Somerset Folk Harp Festival, visit the festival’s website. For more about DeAngelo’s perspective on harp community, check out her contribution to this article from the May/June 2016 issue of Harp Column.
