News & Events

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.

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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!

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.