Author : admin

Submitted by Jenny and Elizabeth Vo-Phamhi, harpists

On October 13, 2013, we were thrilled to have the opportunity to have a

master class with famous harpist Ann Hobson Pilot. Ms. Pilot is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with legendary harp teacher Alice Chalifoux. Ms Pilot recently retired after forty years as principal harpist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and as professor of harp at the New England Conservatory of Music and Boston University.

The master class, presented by the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society and hosted by Harps Etc. in Walnut Creek,was very well-attended. Jenny played the first movement of the Handel Concerto, transcribed by Carlos Salzedo, and Elizabeth played Haydn Theme and Variations, also transcribed by Carlos Salzedo. We were nervous, because we had worked hard to prepare and wanted to do our best, but the atmosphere was so friendly and relaxed we found ourselves really enjoying ourselves as we watched the master classes before us. Other performers were Joffria Whitfield (Handel Concerto in Bb), Emily Madder (Sonata in A Major K113 by Scarlatti), and Victoria Schmidt (Lullaby by Schubert).

Ms. Pilot is a wonderful teacher. Among many other things, she stressed to us the importance of relaxing, closing the fingers, and consistency in fingering. She also particularly emphasized “shading”, and worked with the students to bring a greater variety of colors and tones to their pieces.

At the conclusion of the class Ms. Pilot graciously treated us to a performance of Chiquilín de Bachín and La Muerte Del Angel, two pieces by Argentinian Composer Astor Piazolla.  Even through all the fast notes, she played with a full, rich, expressive sound that thoroughly conveyed the deep emotions present in both pieces.

Between and after the master classes, everyone mingled around light refreshments. It was wonderful to meet new friends and members of the BACAHS, and to catch up with other members we had met through other BACAHS events. What a lovely afternoon of learning and music-making with the harp!

San Francisco Contemporary Music Players present the second SFCMP Players Show of the 2013-14 season, featuring harpist Karen Gottlieb accompanied on percussion by Artistic Director Steven Schick and Andrew Myerson (of local duo The Living Earth Show).

The Players Show is a new occasional concert series that casts a spotlight on our ensemble members and their various musical activities around the Bay Area with informal, pop-up events. The ground rule in putting together the Players Show is that SFCMP musicians share the kinds of activities, collaborations, and repertoire they are exploring in their careers and in the Bay Area, and let them curate an hour-long concert. SFCMP sees these events as another way to bring listeners — from the deeply devoted, to the casual, to the total newcomer – into the arc of new-music creation, performance, and appreciation.

Also on the program: a solo performance by Mills College MFA student Stephan Haluska, who seeks to “push the harp into new territories by extending the harp’s vocabulary” and a performance by Oakland harpist Destiny Muhammad (a.k.a. The Harpist from the Hood) with bass and drums. Her self-described genre ‘Celtic to Coltrane’ is “cool and eclectic with a touch of storytelling to round out the sonic experience.” Gottlieb, with Schick and Myerson, will perform Lou Harrison’s Music for Harp.

Thursday, October 17, 2013 – 7:30 p.m. Center for New Music, 55 Taylor Street

Tickets $15 at the door ($10 for CNM members).

The Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society is pleased to announce that a new Board of Directors has been elected. According to the by-laws of the chapter, an election will take place bi-annually, in odd numbered years (i.e. 2013). Following is a listing of the new Board Members and their positions:

President: Alice Yothers
Vice President:Susie Spiwak
Secretary: Henry Heines
Treasurer: Melinda Chinn
Website/Advertising/Promotion: Erica Messer
Facebook Administrator: Mitch Landy

The board members serve to represent the interests of all members of the chapter. They serve in a volunteer capacity to promote the harp and harp community through events, concerts, scholarships, etc.

In addition, Karen Gottlieb, Dominique Piana, and Jessica Siegel have volunteered to serve in an advisory capacity.

We would like to thank the outgoing Board who served over the past two years, particularly our departing President, Dominique Piana, for her vision and passion for the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society.

UPDATE TO STOLEN HARPS:

$$ REWARD $$
FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO RECOVERY OF HARPS AND JEWELRY

Stolen between August 23 – 28

Contact: (530) 265-5599  or Nevada County Sheriff (530) 265-1471

*

Lisa Stine has been a loving and giving member of the Nevada County community for decades.  She has played for many non-profit  groups and youth, cancer survivor and educational events.  This is a tragedy for her.  Let’s help her restore her spirits and faith. Below are her precious harps.  She also lost family heirloom jewelry and favored jewelry with harp motif.

James Rydecki Harp, 40 strings Luthian model Walnut carved, electric pick-up.  Signed inside bottom.	*
Dusty Strings FH36s, (Left) Serial Number 8046 Similar to this picture but is Wenge (dark brown almost black) wood with a Koa (caramel color) wood soundboard (chocolate/caramel) 36 strings has electric pick-up 6 small lap harps in green cases, (Right) 22 strings, levers on f,c,b heart cutouts on soundboard	*

American Harp Society is proud to announce that Alexandra Katelyn Mullins is named the new Young Concert Artist for the next two years.  Ms. Mullins, 19, a Sophomore at Indiana University, student of Distinguished Professor Susann McDonald, has performed throughout the US and Europe in many venues, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. She has received awards, including First Place in the Advanced and Young Professional Divisions of the American Harp Society, First Place in the Lyon and Healy Awards, First Place in the 18th Petar Konjovic Serbian International Harp Competition, First Place in the Jacobs School of Music Concerto Competition, as well as numerous regional awards. Performances have included appearances with the Charlotte Symphony and the IU Orchestra, and she will make her European orchestral debut in Belgrade in 2014. Participation in AHS competitions since 2005 has contributed greatly to her success as a musician, and she is thrilled to serve and perform in the capacity of Concert Artist for the next two years. Former and current teachers and coaches include Dr. Carrol McLaughlin, Dan Yu, Sivan Magen, Dr. Maria Luisa Rayan-Forrero, Bette Roth, Christine VanArsdale, and Jaqueline Bartlett.

Left to right, back row: Sunny Wu, David Ren, Arielle Herman, Eileen Gao, Emily Mader, Jenny Vo-Phamhi, Elizabeth Vo-Phamhi
Middle center: Charis Woo, Carter Williams
Front row: Tiffany Wong; Erin Kim; Aria Delgado; Hannah Ewell; Danielle Nam
Therese Nguyen is not shown.

On Sunday May 26, 25 young harpists competed in the Yvonne La Mothe Schwager Harp Competition, held at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The competition has five categories ranging from Preliminary to Level 4.

The winners are:

PRELIMINARY

• Gold: Charis Woo – student of Jessica Siegel
• Silver: Carter Williams – student of Laura Porter
• Bronze: Aria Delgado – student of Laura Porter
• MusicWorks Prize: Charis Woo

LEVEL I

• Gold: Tiffany Wong – student of Linda Rollo
• Silver: Danielle Nam – student of Sonya Yu
• Bronze: Therese Nguyen – student of Kristal Barlaan
• Harpiana Prize: Hannah Ewell – student of Kristal Barlaan

LEVEL II

• Gold: Elizabeth Vo-Phamhi – student of Doug Rioth
• Silver: Erin Kim – student of Laura Porter
• Bronze: Eileen Gao – student of Kristal Barlaan

LEVEL III

• Gold: Jenny Vo-Phamhi – student of Doug Rioth
• Silver: Sunny Wu – student of Linda Rollo
• Bronze: Arielle Herman – student of Dominique Piana
• Harpiana Prize: Arielle Herman

LEVEL IV

• Gold: David Ren – student of Sonya Yu
• Silver: Emily Mader – student of Beverly Wesner-Hoehn

The judges were Cheryl Ann Fulton from Oakland, Jacquelyn Venter from Folsom and Celia Chan Valerio from Loma Linda, all three of whom hold doctorates.

We had many volunteers who devoted their whole day to the cause, ran an efficient and smooth operation, and whom we wish to thank from the bottom of our hearts: Meredith Clark, Daphanie Lin, Joan Mapou, Doug Rioth, Brian Roberts, Jim Ward and Sonya Yu.

You are all invited to the Winners’ Recital at the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton on June 2 at 2pm. Special guest recitalist Seika Dong will be featured in the second half. Come for good cheer and meet the performers at the reception following in the Firehouse lobby.

Musically yours,

The BACAHS Board:
Dominique Piana, President
Mitch Landy, Vice President
Alice Yothers, Secretary
Susie Spiwak, Treasurer

What:  Yvonne La Mothe Schwager Harp Competition Winners’ Recital

When:  Sunday June 2, 2013 at 2:00pm

Where:  Firehouse Arts Center, 444 Railroad Ave., Pleasanton, CA

Tickets:  $12 – 20

 We are excited to announce that Seika Dong will be the guest artist at the Yvonne La Mothe Schwager Harp Competition Winners’ Recital, sponsored by the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society.  The 19-year-old is currently a freshman pursuing a Bachelors of Harp Performance at Indiana University with full merit scholarship under the tutelage of distinguished professor Susann McDonald. A native of California, she started the harp at age four with renowned teacher Linda Wood Rollo while attending public schools. She also began her piano studies at age six. Seika’s awards include: First Place in the Japan International Harp Competition in the Junior Division in 2006 and First Prize again in the Advanced Division in 2008; First Prize in the American Harp Society National Competition (Intermediate Division) in 2007; Second Prize in the American Harp Society National Competition (Junior Division) in 2006; top three finalist in the American String Teachers Association National Competition in 2007; and First Prize in the San Francisco Bay Area’s Inez Stafford Harp Competition in both 2004 and 2005, precursor of our present competition (The Yvonne La Mothe Schwager Harp Competition). .

In 2011, Seika was an invited performer in the “Young Talents” concert in the Vancouver World Harp Congress. She was also a featured artist in the “Stars of Tomorrow” concert in San Francisco in 2006 and again in the “Stars of Tomorrow” concert at Indiana University during the 2007 USA International Competition. Seika was also a soloist at the San Francisco Opera House in 2007 and the same in New York, 2008.

The Firehouse Arts Center is dedicated to inspiring passion through the arts.  The center is comprised of the 227-seat Firehouse Theater, the 2000 square foot Harrington Gallery, classrooms and rehearsal space, the grand atrium lobby, and the famous interior glass bridge.  With world-class performing and visual arts, exciting interactive programs for all ages, and a state-of-the-art venue which opened in 2010, we combine the sophistication of the culturally rich Bay Area arts landscape with the hospitality and intimacy of our own home town.  The Firehouse Arts Center is located at 4444 Railroad Avenue in downtown Pleasanton.  Media:  Jane Onojafe, jonojafe@cityofpleasantonca.gov, or 925-931-4855

The Firehouse Arts Center will present the winners of the Northern California Harp competition on June 2, 2013 at 2pm. This competition is named after Yvonne La Mothe Schwager, whose bequest to the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society will fund this bi-annual event for many years to come.

This year, the competition will be held at the San Francisco Conservatory on May 26, with about 30 competitors signed up to audition. There are five categories with different repertoire requirements, ranging from below age 9 to age 22.

Yvonne La Mothe Schwager was a Berkeley harpist who quietly made things happen on an international level between 1950 and 1966. Under her stewardship, the Northern California Harpists’ Association, a precursor of the American Harp Society, gave awards to many composers for new pieces for the harp, or for harp with ensemble, some of which became instant hits. Recognizable composers with whom she worked were Marius Flothuis from the Netherlands, the New York critic Virgil Thomson, Josef Tal from Israel or Gerardo Gombau from Spain. The most performed winning work ever must be English harpist David Watkins’ Petite Suite, which includes the famous Fire Dance.

For the youngest harpists, the repertoire consists mainly of works written by well-known harp pedagogues, including Linda Wood Rollo and Nancy Gustavson from the South Bay, and French harp composer Bernard Andres. Salzedo’s arrangement of a Haydn Theme and Variations and Quest by flutist-composer Gary Schocker also figure prominently among pieces selected, as they are works required for the national competition.

In the medium and advanced categories, Eolian Harp by Godefroid, Impromptu by Glière, The Colorado Trail by Grandjany,  Russian Toccata by Slonimsky (the author of the Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians) and the Fauré Impromptu were chosen more prominently by the competitors.

So, if you love harp music, be prepared to hear many gorgeous strains from this entrancing instrument both modern and ancient, simple and complex. There are harps in every world culture, from Antiquity to the present time, from the Near East to Africa and Latin America. yet it is in Europe, at the beginning of the 19th century that Erard, the inventor who perfected the piano also gave the harp its greatest gift, the ability to play in all keys. This allowed the harp to become an established member of the symphony orchestra, and to serve as a unique conduit for solo performance, with an expressive ability surpassing that of the ubiquitous piano.

For more musical information, please contact dominiquepiana@comcast.net.
Additional competition and recital information

The Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society is now a proud Sponsor of the Harp Festival at Harps Etc. As part of our sponsorship, we are offering a limited number of financial assistance and work/study scholarships to any Bay Area Chapter student member under the age of 25 who wishes to attend the Harp Festival at Harps Etc.

For Bay Area Chapter Membership information go to our newly formatted website: https://bacharp.org/membership/

For scholarship assistance for students under the age of 25 who are members of the Bay Area Chapter and wish to attend the Harp Festival at Harps Etc., contact hotharp@pacbell.net Please include a brief paragraph on why you want to attend the Festival and what portion(s) you wish to attend. Your assistance may be in the form of financial aid and/or a work-study package.

Harps Etc. wishes to extend the Early Bird Full Event and Day Pass registration discount to any member of the American Harp Society. Please be able to provide your membership number or local chapter President’s name and email.

The Harp Festival schedule and registration information are available at: 10th Anniversary Festival Homepage

As one company likes to say, “Membership has its privileges”. We urge you to take advantage of these two offers today! Don’t miss out on the first Harp Festival or the many other fabulous events that the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society sponsors throughout the year.