ShruDeLi Ownbey has announced her retirement from Lyon & Healy West. Ownbey—who was featured in Harp Column’s March-April 2003 issue—has been Artistic Director at the Salt Lake City branch of Lyon & Healy for 15 years, during which time she oversaw retail operations and e-commerce sales from harp.com and managed Lyon & Healy Publications. “ShruDeLi’s positive attitude and abundance of energy have helped to develop publications important to a full range of students and to make our retail location a pleasant place,” says Janet Harrell, CEO of Lyon & Healy Harps. Following her retirement, ShruDeLi will focus on teaching harp and expanding her current studio of 15 students.
In addition to her work at Lyon & Healy West, ShruDeLi has been a Suzuki harp teacher for over 30 years. She taught at the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, in her own studio and has performed in professional orchestras for over 30 years in both the Utah Symphony and the Honolulu Symphony. ShruDeLi has toured with harp students across the US, to Canada, Australia, and three World Harp Congresses. She has twice received the Distinguished Teacher Award from the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. Her students have won many awards and competitions both national and international. In 2015 she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Harp Society. ShruDeLi has a BA and MA from the University of Utah and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA and Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA.
“Lyon & Healy Harps knows everyone in the harp community joins them in wishing ShruDeLi well as she starts a new chapter in her interesting life,” said the company in a statement. “She is eager to spend more time with her husband Ray, son Micah, daughter-in-law Casey, and grandchildren Iris and Gus. She also looks forward to more contact with her students and time to secure performance and touring opportunities for them.”
Lyon & Healy Harps reports no plans to replace ShruDeLi. Lance Hanna and Jana Darby will assume responsibility for day to day operations.
