Dear BACAHS Members and Friends,
Hopefully you were able to attend one or all of the exciting programs featuring Alice Giles, virtuoso Australian harpist. Thanks to Karen Gottlieb and our presenting partners, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players (SFCMP), we were delighted by Alice’s performance on Sunday, October 12. Alice played compositions by Bach and Salzedo as well as music she commissioned from Gillian Whitehead, an Australian composer. She then finished the performance with her multimedia composition, Alice in Antarctica, which featured electro-acoustic harp, lever harp, singing, poetry, dramatic still photography and videos of penguins–so cute! It combined traditional folk tunes with original compositions and demonstrated a wide range of our beloved instrument.
The next day Alice offered an informative talk on Composing for the Harp and a Master Class in which seven advanced harp students ranging in age from teen to adult performed and received invaluable guidance that transformed their playing in short order. The sold out audience truly benefited from the incredible guidance Alice delivered. Thank you Doug Rioth for arranging for the Davies Symphony Hall Green Room to hold these events.
Other exciting news: Annabelle Taubl is the new principal harpist for the San Francisco ballet. Auditions were held during the week of October 12. Many fine performers participated in the try outs. Congratulations to all the finalists and a warm welcome to Ms.Taubl. Read Annabelle’s interview in the Harp Column.
Upcoming events:
- December 6, 2014: Harps Etc. Winter recital and Pot Luck, 5pm, Walnut Creek
- December 6, 2014: Harpeggio’s 20 Harps for the Holidays 2014, 4pm, United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Avenue, Los Altos. For more information and tickets, call Stephanie Janowski, (408) 366-8810, or email events@harpeggio.com
- January 18, 2015: BACAHS Annual Winter Pot Luck, 4pm, in the home of Malcolm McAfee, 30 Commonwealth Ave., San Francisco
- April 18, 2015: BACAHS presents Mitoshi Kosako Jazz Workshop and Recital at Harps Etc., Time TBD, Walnut Creek
- May 24, 2015: Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition for Young Harpists, San Francisco Conservatory of Music
- June 7, 2015: Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition Winners Recital, 2pm, Firehouse Arts Center, Pleasanton
Check the BACAHS calendar for more information and to view other events. Also please send notice of your events for addition to the calendar and sharing within chapter news.
Attention Harp Students! Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition guidelines and application are available through your teachers and at the chapter website. The competition is open to students up to age 25 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.
Harps for Sale and Rent: Check out classified ad page for harp listings including Caswell Celtic Harp, Salvi Daphne 44, Camac LeBleu 47 Electro-Acoustic Harp, Lyon and Healy Prelude and more.
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.
November, 2014