News & Events

Dear BACAHS Members and Friends,

This short month of February was packed with exciting harp events. Kudos go out to Jessica Siegel and her team at Harps Etc. for presenting the Cafe Concert Series. In February, Alfredo Rolando Ortiz put on a 4-1/2 hour workshop covering everything from Latin American rhythms (there are many of them), to learning techniques and new ways to use slides and damping in your playing. The workshop was only the beginning. That evening, Alfredo presented a full length recital demonstrating his mastery of the Paraguayan harp and Latin American music composition while his wife, Luz, displayed her beautiful custom harp jewelry, many pieces of which are now proudly sported around the necks and from the ear lobes of local harpists.

If you have not yet attended any Cafe Concerts and workshops, there are still opportunities. On March 14, Sunita Stanislaw from Israel will present a workshop and recital, and on April 18, BACAHS will co-present a workshop and recital featuring Motoshi Kosako, renowned jazz harpist. Come for the education and entertainment, and enjoy the delicious treats and libations at the receptions.

Also, don’t miss AHS Concert Artist Alexandra Mullins in concert on March 21 at Immanuel Lutheran Church in San Jose.

Upcoming events: Check out the list below and stay up to date by visiting BACAHS calendar. In addition, check out other events presented by our friends at Silicon Valley Chapter AHS.

• 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/
• Alexandra Katelyn Mullins, the American Harp Society’s Concert Artist, will perform in concert March 21 at 3:00 pm at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1710 Moorpark Ave., San Jose, CA 95128, sponsored by the Silicon Valley Chapter. Alexandra is a student of Susann McDonald at Indiana University.
  The program includes:
  Feerie, Prelude and Dance by Marcel Tournier (1879-1951)
  Sonata in C Minor by Giovanni Battista Pescetti (1704-1766)
  Legende by Henriette Renie (1875-1956)
  Sonata by Paul Hindemith (1895-1963)
  Akhnaten and Nefertiti from the opera “Akhnaten” by Philip Glass (1937-)/arr. Mullins
  Rhapsodie by Marcel Grandjany (1891-1975)
• April 11, 2015, 7:30pm: Piana-Friedman Duo in 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.
• 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 at the chapter website 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

Anna Maria Mendieta launched a new harp duo with Dan Levitan which has performed concerts around the Bay Area since November. In December she toured Texas with her ensemble, performing with award winning guest tango dancers from Canada and Colombia. In January she had a successful tour in Louisiana and was thrilled to be invited to perform her entire concert-show with the Rapids Symphony in Alexandria, LA. It was quite a production with new multimedia, new arrangements and orchestrations created especially for the concert. She’ll be performing this new symphonic program with other orchestras during the 2015-2016 concert season. And finally, in February she was guest soloist with the Pacific Chamber Symphony premiering a beautiful original composition by Jeremy Cohen arranged for harp and string orchestra. Performances were in Lafayette and at the Bankhead Theater in Livermore.

Lynn Taffin recorded music for the upcoming world premiere performance with Alonzo King LINES Ballet Company. This world premiere ballet unites Alonzo King with natural soundscape artist Bernie Krause and composer Richard Blackford. For more than forty years, Krause has traveled the globe with microphones tuned to the earth and its creatures. It was a very dynamic collaboration in the studio and should be magical to see choreographed. Tickets and more information are available through the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts box office.

Noel Wan will be playing a solo harp concert on May 31 as part of the Carmel Music Society’s 2014-2015 concert series. She was chosen for this honor after winning the 2014 Carmel Music Society Music Competition: Instrumental Division. For more information on the concert and competition visit:
http://www.carmelmusic.org/concerts_2014-15/06_comp_winner/index.html

In 2012, Noel was awarded the prestigious Qi-Mei Music Award and Scholarship from Taiwan’s Qi-mei Art Foundation, and gave her solo recital for the grand opening of Taiwan Harp Center in Taipei. She later received the Aharon Zvi and Mara Propes Foundation Special Award at the 18th Israel International Harp Contest (2012). She also won second prize at the 2013 Nippon International Harp Competition in Japan. Noel now is studying for her Master’s Degree at Yale Music School under tutelage of June Han.

Beth Erickson emails us that she will be playing at the following venues in the South Bay:

• March 15 at Hannegan’s, Los Gatos, 2-4 pm
• March 22 at a charity luncheon, Sharon Heights Country Club, Los Altos Hills, 10-12 pm
• March 29 concert at Book Buyers, Castro Street, Mountain View, 3 pm
• May 15 concert at Berryessa Public Library, San Jose, 6:30-7:30 pm
• May 19 concert at Educational Park Library, San Jose, 6:45-7:45 pm
• May 20 concert at Cambrian Library, San Jose, 6:30-7:30 pm

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. 

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.

Dear BACAHS Members and Friends,

You are invited to the Bay Area Chapter AHS Annual Winter Pot Luck Supper on Sunday, January 18, 2015, from 4pm until 7pm.  Come ring in the New Year with friends and colleagues while enjoying great food, fun and music.

Annabelle Taubl, the new principal harpist for the San Francisco Ballet, will perform at the event

Malcolm McAfee will once again graciously host the gathering at his home located at 30 Commonwealth Avenue in San Francisco.

Please RSVP and indicate what dish you will bring to Alice Yothers, 510-305-9438 or ayothers@yahoo.com

Please note the new date of January 18 for the Pot Luck Supper.  This is a change from previous correspondence due to closure of the Golden Gate Bridge during the weekend of January 10-12. 

Upcoming events:  With the holidays upon us, there are many exciting harp events going on in the Bay Area.  Check out the list below and stay up to date by visiting BACAHS calendar.  Also, send us your events for posting on the calendar and sharing with the Chapter.

• December 6, 2014:  Harps Etc. Winter Open House and Recital, 5pm, Harps Etc. 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
• December 9, 2014: The Beloved Bull and the Sausage Horse, A Christmas Fable with musical interludes performed by Brian Swager on harp and organ with Daniel Pociernicki, Narrator and Christine Springer, Soprano, SAN JOSE–Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1710 Moorpark Avenue, 7:30 PM, Free Admission/ Freewill Donation
• December 16, 2014: The Beloved Bull and the Sausage Horse, A Christmas Fable with musical interludes performed by Brian Swager on harp and organ with Daniel Pociernicki, Narrator and Christine Springer, Soprano, SAN FRANCISCO–Unitarian Universalist Church, 1187 Franklin Street, 7:30 PM, $20 Suggested Donation
• December 19, 2014: Indoor Solstice and Labyrinth Walk in candlelight and silence with Diana Stork, Harp. http://www.ccctiburon.org. 6:30-8:30 PM Community Congregational Church, 145 Rock Hill Dr, Tiburon, CA 94920
• December 20, 2014:  Solstice Ritual & Concert with Harpists Diana Stork and Portia Diwa, members of the Bay Area Youth Harp Ensemble, and Friends.  7:00 PM Isis Oasis, Geyserville. Info: http://www.isisoasis.org; 707-857-4747
• January 18, 2015—NEW DATE:  BACAHS Annual Winter Pot Luck, 4pm, in the home of Malcolm McAfee, 30 Commonwealth Ave., San Francisco
• February 7, 2014: Alfredo Rolando Ortiz Latin American Music and Rhythms Workshop for All harp levels and Recital at Harps Etc.  Details and ticket information coming soon
• 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

Attention Harp Students! Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition guidelines, application and online enrollment are available at the chapter website and through your teachers. 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 our classified ad page for harp listings including Musicmakers Regency, Caswell Celtic Harp, Salvi Daphne 44, Camac LeBleu 47 Electro-Acoustic Harp, Lyon and Healy Prelude and more.  Do you have a harp for sale?  Complete the listing request on the classified ad page for posting so all can view.

Member news:  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 Member News page.

Chapter news:  Check out the new logo and updates at BACHARP.org!  Thanks to Jim Ward, our creative and capable webmaster, the look and feel is more emblematic of the chapter’s roots in the “City by the Bay”.  The new logo is a keen addition that evokes the musicality of our organization on a delightful and upbeat note that spans the ages.  We hope you’ll enjoy the new elements and refreshed look and feel.

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.

——
Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society in conjunction with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players greets Australian virtuoso harpist, Alice Giles, in concert and master class October 12 and 13, 2014.

Alice in Antarctica – Sunday, October 12, 2014, 7:00pm

In a scintillating evening concert, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society greet guest Australian virtuoso harpist Alice Giles for a a multi-media performance incorporating Electro-Acoustic harp, voice, visual and audio material. The program commemorates the Centenary of the First Australasian Antarctic Expedition 1911-1914 on which Giles’ own grandfather, Dr C.T., Madigan, was a member. The program features works by Bach, Dvorak, Salzedo and various Australian Composers.

Program:
Suite BWV 996 e-minor (originally for Lute) J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750) Trans. A. Giles
Toccata (1991) Gillian Whitehead (b. 1941)
Ballade op. 28 Carlos Salzedo (1885 – 1961)
Alice in Antarctica (Electro-Acoustic Harp)
This presentation features visual and audio material gathered by Alice Giles on her 2011 trip as an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellow to Davis and Mawson Stations on the Aurora Australis.

Kanbar Hall of San Francisco’s Jewish Community Center
3200 California Street, San Francisco
Tickets: $30 Premium Seating, $20 General Admission, and $10 for students.

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.  2014-2015 dues will be coming up at the end of August.  Please renew when signing up for the master class or visit BACHARP.org/membership

Presented by the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society and Harps Etc.

Two Sides of Celtic
Grainne Hambly & William Jackson, the Foremost Harpers of Ireland and Scotland
Two great players in one fantastic show!

Hambly and Jackson take the harp to a whole new level. These two world renowned harpists will present a program of varied music that blends the Irish and Scottish traditions. Their concert will include concertina, whistle and bouzouki, too.

Saturday, May 3, 2014
Workshop and Concert at Harps Etc.
1601 N. Main Street, Suite 106
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Workshop with Grainne Hambly
Aural Learning Made Easy
4:00 – 5:30 pm
Do you find the idea of learning by ear daunting? Do you avoid classes that do not use written music? Come and explore different techniques and tips for aural learning, presented in the context of a simple Irish tune. Discover that it’s easier than you think!

Concert with Grainne Hambly & William Jackson 7:30 pm

Tickets for each event: $30 prepaid reservations
$35 at the door
AHS Members will receive a $5 discount for each event

Call 925-937-4277 for reservations and details

About the Artists

Grainne Hambly is from County Mayo, Ireland and is one of the finest Irish harpists performing throughout Europe and North America. Her fluid style and virtuoso performances have gained her a reputation as a performer and instructor without equal. Grainne has three widely acclaimed solo CDs.
William Jackson is from Glasgow, Scotland and was a founding member of the renown Scottish band Ossian. He has established a reputation as a fine composer and performer on the Scottish harp. He received the tenth Master Music Maker Award for lifetime achievement from the noted Swannanoa Gathering. Her has seven solo CD recordings as well as being featured on all Ossian recordings

This concert is presented by the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society in conjunction with Harps Etc. and the Harp Agency

From the archives: Marcella De Cray’s husband Malcolm McAfee has graciously provided the Society with two radio performances from the 1960s that can be heard on this website. The first is the Hovhaness Sonata for Harp. The second is a historical Luciano Berio interview in 1967 here in San Francisco in which Marcella played the Sequenza II written in 1963. There is also some flute and theater pieces included in this lengthy recording. Marcella’s obituary can be found here.  https://bacharp.org/in-memoriam/#DeCray

We had a great turnout for the Winter potluck this year at the home of Malcolm McAfee. We were entertained by the touring harpist Anna Maria Mendietta, who played several pieces, including The Carol of the Bells. 

To all composers and anyone who dreams of being a composer, The American Harp Society—Los Angeles Chapter—is holding a composition competition, made possible by a grant from the American Harp Society.

The American Harp Society- Los Angeles is looking for new compositions (not yet published or performed) for solo pedal harp, 5-8 minutes long, inspired by or about the city of Los Angeles, its history or environs. Applicants must submit a score in PDF format and a non-commercial recording of a harpist performing the piece.

Deadline: All application materials must be submitted on or before May 5, 2014. For more information and to apply, please visit www.harpsocietyla.org. Download the flyer here.

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!