On the occasion of her 80th birthday, the Royal College of Music (RCM) in London will hold a tribute concert for Marisa Robles, to honor her contribution to the harp world and classical music in general.
The concert will take place on Sunday, May 14th, at 6:15 PM, in the Britten Theater. Performers include harpist Ieuan Jones and the RCM harp ensemble, as well as the Harlem Quartet, RCM guitar ensemble, and more. On the program are works by Ravel, Rodrigo, and Tansman. Support for the event is also given by Holywell Music, which represents Salvi and Lyon & Healy in the UK.
Marisa Robles was born in Spain, in 1937, and attended the Madrid Conservatory. After immigrating to the UK, she became a harp professor at the Royal College of Music in 1971. One of the pieces featured on the program, Sones en la Giralda, was written for her by JoaquÃn Rodrigo as a wedding present. She gave the premiere performance in 1963 on the BBC – just one of her many performances introducing the harp to British TV audiences. Other composers who have dedicated works to her include Jesús Guridi, John Metcalf, and William Mathias. However, Robles may be most well known for her performances of Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto with James Galway. Aside from her inspirational performance career, she has also served the harp community as artistic director for the Cardiff World Harp Festival.
