Laurie Ellen Bolvig Buchanan of San Antonio, Texas, died on Feb. 18, 2026, at age 87. Buchanan was born in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 28, 1939, to Doris Hevener Bolvig and Col. Lawrence John Bolvig. She earned a degree in harp performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.
Buchanan taught private studio harp and piano lessons from 1961 to 2025. Additionally, she taught as a harp instructor and lecturer at Trinity University, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and Schreiner University. Buchanan founded the San Antonio Harp Ensemble in 1984 and directed the group for 35 years. The group continues to this day.
At various times in her career, Buchanan served as principal harp of the American Wind Symphony in Pittsburgh, the San Antonio Symphony in Texas, the Mid-Texas Symphony, the San Antonio Festival Choir, and the Majestic Theatre Broadway Series Orchestra. She was second harp and substitute principal of the Corpus Christi Symphony. While playing for various ballet companies, she met and played for many famous musicians along the way including Luciano Pavarotti, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, Dave Brubeck, and Birgit Nilsson. She also performed for various solo and chamber events. Later in life, she pursued work in music therapy at the University of the Incarnate Word, volunteering to play for patients at the Cancer Therapy and Research Center and at various hospitals in San Antonio.
In addition to working as a harpist, Buchanan was a fine artist who loved to draw and paint. For three years she worked as a display designer for Frost Bros. Department Store in San Antonio. She worked as a veterinary assistant and managed a pet shop; she loved cats and had several rescue cats over the years. She retired in 2004 after working 18 years in Northside ISD as a substitute teacher and elementary instructional assistant for the special education and speech therapy programs.
Those wishing to honor her memory are invited to donate to Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation or the San Antonio Humane Society.
—Adapted from a social media post by the San Antonio TX Chapter of the American Harp Society
