Alfredo Rolando Ortiz says he was inspired by his wife Luz Marina to write “A Light in the Sea.”

Born in Cuba, I moved to Venezuela in February of 1958 when I was 11. Days after my 15th birthday, on Dec. 23, 1961, my 14-year-old friend, Fernando Guerrero, gave me my first lesson on a borrowed Venezuelan harp that a family friend had as decoration. Months later, Paraguayan harpist Alberto Romero became my teacher, and he helped my family to obtain my first Paraguayan harp. Knowing we had a house full of Cuban refugees sleeping on the floor, Alberto never accepted payment for my lessons. 

I turned 17 in December of 1963 in Medellín, Colombia, where I had traveled to attend medical school. My first job ever was playing harp at a wedding reception a few months later, where a guest asked for my albums. That guest, Alvaro Arango, was an executive of Codiscos Recording Company and he invited me to do a demonstration that resulted in 27 albums and a Gold Record. Music paid for my studies until graduation in 1970. I continued working as a doctor and harpist and became one of the pioneers in the field of music therapy in Colombia. 

In 1975 I moved to the United States to continue music therapy studies at California State University, Long Beach. Soon I was working seven days a week as a harpist to support my studies. One night, my friend, pedal harpist Dewayne Fulton, brought world-renowned harpist and harp teacher Susann McDonald to listen to me at Maldonado’s Restaurant in Pasadena. Susann and I became friends. I had purchased an Angelica 46 pedal harp by Salvi, she purchased a Paraguayan harp, and we “traded” a few lessons.

In 1976, I was the first ever non-pedal harpist to perform a recital at an American Harp Society Conference, where I also offered an audiovisual presentation about Latin American harps, opening the doors of our Latin American harp world to those attending. 

One day in 1978 Susann called me to go to her home in Pasadena to meet Phia Berghout, from the Netherlands. Phia invited me to “The Harp Week” in her country, in 1979, performing recitals and offering audiovisual presentations about Latin American harps. In 1979 Susann surprised me by including my compositions La Guabina and Llano in her album The World of the Harp. Phia invited me again in 1980 and she eventually invited me to perform several of my compositions at the Opening Concert of the First World Harp Congress in 1983.

At my exhibit booth during the World Harp Congress in Tacoma, Washington, in 1996, I was showing a video of the premiere of my South American Suite for Harp and Orchestra from earlier that year. World-renowned pedal harpist Jana Boušková walked by and, intrigued by the sight of a harpist wearing a poncho playing with an orchestra, she requested the headphones. Long minutes passed and finally, she looked at me and said, “I would like you to play your Suite at the next World Harp Congress, in Prague.” In 1999 I performed my Suite with the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra in front of a “very scary audience” of hundreds of harpists.

In 2007 I was commissioned to compose a piece for harp ensemble for the 10th World Harp Congress in Amsterdam, the following year. Cumbia Verde was premiered there with 232 harps. 

Through the years, I had the privilege and honor of being invited to perform and teach about our Latin American harps at many important harp events. My dream of educating others about our harps began with my first book, Latin American Harps History, Music and Techniques in 1979. It became a reality through the years, thanks to the American Harp Society, International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen, The Harp Week, The World Harp Congress, The Edinburgh International Harp Festival, World Harp Festival (Belfast), Somerset Folk Harp Festival, and many others. To all of them, I am so thankful.

The inspirations for my compositions come from nature like Iguazu and Niagara Falls, butterflies, sunsets, and even lightning storms. But the love of my wife and family have been the most important inspiration, not only for my compositions, but in my life. 

On the eve of my 30th birthday, Dec. 9, 1976, the best birthday gift of my life arrived from Colombia: Luz Marina. She was the sister of my best friend from medical school, and soon after our wedding, I composed A Light in the Sea, inspired by her beautiful name. It  was premiered at my recital for the American Harp Society in Pasadena a few months later. In 1978 I was working seven days a week as a harpist and five days at Fairview State Hospital when we became pregnant. In order to have time for our growing family I decided to continue working only as a harpist. The medical side of my career has continued through my prevention of injury workshops for harpists around the world. 

The Cuban-born Paraguayan harp player recalls playing in the delivery room of their second daughter in 1980 to be one of “the most important concerts of my life.”

The most important concerts of my life: On New Year’s Eve, 1980, I played in the delivery room as our second daughter, Michelle, was born and, eight years ago, I played in the delivery room during the birth of a grandson from each of our two daughters. Of my over 40 albums, my favorite is Harp, Love and Birth, with music composed for the births of our daughters Luzma and Michelle. The last few minutes are the original recording from inside the delivery room and you can hear Michelle’s first cry and my wife’s words: “my baby, I want to see my baby…” as I let my heart improvise on my harp.

This much I know: I am thankful for my challenging life of migrations and hardships. I am thankful for the gifts of love from life through so many people and circumstances that continue molding my life as a harpist, educator, composer, and as a human being. And I am thankful that so many of you, harp teachers, students, and professionals, have embraced my compositions and are sharing them with your audiences around the world. Thanks to all of you, I am ready to continue my harp adventure today—and forever—with love.