harpcolumn

College Harp Program Directory

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

Overview

Region

Bloomington,

Indiana,

United States

Faculty

Elzbieta Szmyt, Harp Department Chair, Sarah Bullen, Orchestra Studies, Fan-Fen Tai, Jacobs Harp Academy.

Program summary

The IU Jacobs School of Music Harp Department is one of the largest in the world. It welcomes harp majors, harp elective students, pre-college and adult harpists. The program prepares students for a career as a professional harpist by offering individual lessons, master classes, chamber music, orchestra classes, harp ensemble, pedagogy and harp literature classes. Harp students at Jacobs have the opportunity to work and collaborate with world class faculty members and visiting artists.

your listings

program details

Type of school

University

Music and arts degrees offered

  • Bachelor of Music
  • Bachelor of Music Education
  • Master of Music
  • Master of Music Education
  • Doctor of Musical Arts
  • Artist Diploma or Certificate
  • Performance Diploma or Certificate
  • Bachelor of Science with an Outside Field

Lessons available for non-majors?

Yes

Harp minor offered?

No

Number of school harps

13

Space provided for personal harps?

Yes

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

This program is best suited for students who:

"Love the harp and want to reach their full potential as a well-rounded musician."

What sets this program apart from others is:

"Department size and opportunities for performing, teaching and collaborating with other musicians."

Students who graduate from this program go on to:

"Become successful soloists, chamber musicians, orchestral harpists and teachers."

The three words that best describe this school's environment are:

"Inspirational, professional, and nurturing."

Harp majors receive private lessons and attend weekly performance master classes with Professor Elzbieta Szmyt. In addition, students participate in weekly orchestra repertoire classes with Sarah Bullen. Students have the opportunity to enroll in harp ensemble, chamber music, harp pedagogy, harp literature, as well as applied pedagogy.

Each harp major is required to perform in at least two major ensemble (orchestra or band) concerts each semester. There are numerous opportunities for ad hoc ensemble appearances. The School has three recital halls, an opera theater and a recording studio. Every other year, the winner of the Harp Department concerto competition performs a concerto with one of the symphony orchestras in the Musical Arts Center.

Indiana University Jacobs School of Music is the home of the USA International Harp Competition, founded in 1989 by Distinguished Professor Susann McDonald.

additional images