Dear BACAHS Members and Friends,
It was wonderful to see many of you at the Annual Winter Pot Luck Supper on January 18. Thank you to Annabelle Taubl, who played beautifully and captivated us with her performance of Sonatine by Tournier, Suite for Harp by Britten and Legende by Henriette Renie. We are very excited that Annabelle is now part of the Bay Area harp community and wish her well in her endeavors. Thanks and gratitude also go out to Malcolm McAfee for hosting at his home and for all the volunteers who helped insure the evening was a great success.
Good times were had by all at the Winter Pot Luck
Over the next few months there are numerous harp events scheduled— some with visiting artists and others by members of our community. These are great opportunities to learn and appreciate the diversity of the harp and harpists. Hopefully you can attend some or all that are offered!
Upcoming events: Check out the list below and stay up to date by visiting BACAHS calendar. In addition, check out the events presented by our friends at Silicon Valley Chapter AHS– http://siliconvalleyharp.org/page14/page10/chapterevents.html
- February 7, 2015: Alfredo Rolando Ortiz Latin American Music and Rhythms Workshop for all harp levels followed by a not-to-be-missed concert at Harps Etc. Three consecutive workshops for harpists of all levels from 1:00pm until 5:30pm and concert at 7:30pm. Tickets: workshop and concert, $60 or $35 each. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.harpsetc.com/events-en/
- February 14, 2015: Alfredo Rolando Ortiz will also be performing his own “South American Suite for Harp and Orchestra” with the Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose, Saturday, February 14, 7:30 p.m. at Le Petit Trianon, 72 N. 5th St, San Jose. For more information and tickets, visit http://missionchamber.org.
- March 14, 2015: Sunita Staneslow, Internationally Acclaimed Celtic Harpist, at Harps Etc. Workshop 2:30-5:30pm: The Art of the Arpeggio and Making the Most of Your Mistakes! Concert at 7:30pm. Tickets: workshop and concert, $60 or $35 each. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.harpsetc.com/events-en/
- April 11, 2015, 7:30pm: Piana-Friedman Duoin Concert. Tenor Greg Allen Friedman and harpist Dominique Piana join forces in warm and lush selections from the song repertoire: German Lieder, French melodies and romances, Italian airs and other surprises. A program of songs from the late 18th to the early 20th century, evenly divided between works by the classical greats and harpist-composers, will be interspersed with a few solo harp interludes.Music by Krumpholtz, Gyrowetz, Reichardt, Blangini, Schubert, Oberthür, Schumann, Thomas, Holý, Strauss, Hahn, Fauré, Hasselmans, Godefroid, Tosti and Leoncavallo. Among the songs with original harp accompaniment you will hear, some will be American premieres or world-wide 21st century premieres: the old made new again!Seventh Avenue Presbyterian Church located at 1329 Seventh Avenue in San Francisco. Tickets- $20/$15. Buy tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/840168. BACAHS February 2015 continued…
- April 12, 2015: Harp Live! with our friends in Silicon Valley AHS, 3:00-5:30, at the home of Gwen Halterman, Moss Beach. Chapter members are invited to bring their favorite pieces to share or play for the group, or just come to listen and enjoy the company of other harpists. For more information, visit https://bacharp.org/calendar.
- April 18, 2015: BACAHS presents Motoshi Kosako Jazz Workshop and Recital at Harps Etc., Workshop for Jazz Arranging, Improvisation and Jazzing Up Your Playing: 2:30 to 5:30pm. Performance 7:30pm. Tickets: workshop and concert, $60 or $35 each. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.harpsetc.com/events-en/
- May 24, 2015: Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition for Young Harpists, San Francisco Conservatory of Music. https://bacharp.org/competitions/
- June 7, 2015: Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition Winners Recital, 2pm, Firehouse Arts Center, Pleasanton
Attention Harp Students! Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition guidelines, application and online enrollment are available here and through your teachers. The competition is open to students up to and including age 25 and residing in the Western Region, who are members of the Bay Area Chapter and the American Harp Society. Membership information is available at bacharp.org/membership and at harpsociety.org respectively.
Member news:
Be sure to check out all the harps listed for sale in our Classified Ads!
Harp dollies are needed for education: Erica Messer writes “The new 2015 public harp education program at North Shoreview Montessori in San Mateo, CA is off to a good start. We have six harps that were donated or purchased by donation, and the six students are taking to the harp very quickly. While the School District is doing what they can to accommodate this new program mid-year, we are in need of a harp dolly to get the floor harps to and from the main office to the classroom. (They are graciously being stored in the Principal’s Office until a secure place is made in the school!) I have loaned my dolly for the time being, but if anyone can donate one, or donate funds to purchase one, it would be a great help.”
Checks can be made out to: San Mateo Foster City Education Foundation with the subject line reading “HARP” and mailed to Erica Messer at PO BOX 2071 San Mateo, CA 94401. Donations are tax-deductable! Thank you for your support. Please contact Erica directly with any questions, or if you have a dolly to donate! (415) 786-9143
Brain Swager’s next organ recital will take place January 31 and February 1 at 4PM at the Palace of the Legion of Honor. Brian states “The program is somewhat of a mixed bag, with music from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. They’ve asked us to start organizing our recitals around a theme this year, but since I had already selected the pieces, I assigned the theme “From Vocal Music to Organ Music” since all of the pieces were based on, or inspired by, sung music. Program details here: http://allegrofuoco.com/prog035.html. The recital is included with your admission to the museum.
Karen Gottlieb will perform with Opera Parallèle in Dead Man Walking. Composed by Jake Heggie with libretto by Terrence McNally, Dead Man Walking is based on Sister Helen Prejean’s 1993 memoir, which tells of her time working with death row inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary, and of a particular relationship she developed with one of the inmates. Open Rehearsal: February 14, 2015, 3PM at First Baptist Church, 22 Waller Street (at Octavia), San Francisco. Admission is free. Performances: 8 p.m. February 20, 21, 2015, 2 p.m. February 22, 2015, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Theater. Tickets $35-$135
New Board Members Welcome! Are you interested in joining the board of BACAHS? There are opportunities to plan the types of events that you and other harpists enjoy attending, reach out to members, volunteer at programs and feel more a part of the chapter. We are always looking for more members to get involved. If you want additional information on becoming a part of our enthusiastic team, please contact us at bacahs@gmail.com or ayothers@yahoo.com
Keep in Touch: Let us hear from you about any news or events you would like shared with the Chapter. Your information may be included in the regular updates and will be posted on the Calendar and/or Member News page. Email bacahs@gmail.com
The Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp society serves to meet the need to share information, promote and foster an appreciation of the harp as a musical instrument in the Bay Area, and further harp education at all levels. Your support enables continued sponsorship of harp programs and master classes. If you have not done so already, please join or renew your membership in the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society. Visit BACHARP.org/membership. Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society is a 501(c)3 corporation and, as such, both membership dues and all donations are tax-deductible, to the full extent allowed by law.