September 2015
Dear BACAHS Members and Friends:
Welcome to our Fall Newsletter, which is brimming with news of the chapter, lots of vibrant activities by our members, and great plans for the upcoming season.
Look for our new feature, Member Spotlight, a report by new board member Suki Russack, which features member Karen Gottlieb as she announces her recent CD release. See the announcement of our newly expanded board of directors, and the report of our June member survey, which gives us insight into how the chapter can better serve its members, the greater harp community and the Bay Area community at large.
Since Ann Hobson Pilot will be back in town in October, BACAHS will sponsor her at a screening of her inspirational documentary, “A Harpist’s Legacy”, along with her own commentary. At our ever popular Winter Potluck in January, we are adding a new component, a “Music Swap”, where we can cull the sheet music we no longer need and swap with others. Plan to come and find some gems!
In February we are looking forward to hosting harpist Natalie Cox and the Pacific Arts Trio with their latest program offerings. And we are happy to announce the Harps Etc. 15th Anniversary International Harp Festival in May. So there’s lots to enjoy coming up. We hope to see many of you. Please bring your friends and family to celebrate this wonderful instrument and the pleasure it brings to so many!
Happy Harping!
Alice Yothers
President
MEMBERSHIP
Thank you to all who have joined the chapter or renewed your membership in BACAHS. If you have not done so already, please join or renew now. The membership year begins September 1 and goes through August 2016. Although you may be a member of the American Harp Society at the National level, we hope you will join the Bay Area Chapter as well.
The Chapter 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. Visit BACHARP.org/membership. The 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.
MEMBER SURVEY
Thank you to the 70 members and friends who completed the Member Survey that was sent to you in late June. Your overwhelming response demonstrates your keen interest and enthusiasm for the Chapter and its activities. In summary, here is what you told us:
13 of you attended at least one performance or BACAHS event last year.
Classical concerts topped the interest list for 2014-2015 performances, followed by contemporary music concerts and jazz. There was more interest in workshops over master classes. Interest was also expressed for having more social events like the Annual Potluck dinner.
Furthering harp education at all levels continues to be a core goal of BACAHS. Nine respondents attended the Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition Winners’ Recital. Of this group, six of you were performers. Suggestions for other events included student recitals, teacher symposiums on harp pedagogy, and orchestral and/or small ensemble groups.
Scheduling conflicts were the primary reason that many did not attend any or all of the events, with the location of the events contributing to the scheduling conflict in almost half of the instances. Preferred times and days were stated as:
1. Saturday afternoon
2. Sunday afternoon
3. Saturday evening
4. Sunday evening
East Bay and the City of San Francisco are the preferred locations for activities.
This information will be a great resource in planning future events and activities. Your participation will insure their success and provide entertainment, socialization and enlightenment. If you would like to participate and help plan future activities with BACAHS, please contact us at bacahs@gmail.com.
MEET THE NEW BOARD OF BACAHS
In the member survey distributed in June 2015, members were queried as to their interest in serving on the Board of the Bay Area Chapter of the American Harp Society. Alice Yothers and Susie Spiwak followed up with those people who stated their interest. As a result, five new people volunteered to join the board, and the current board agreed to remain for another two year term. At the board meeting on August 13, 2015, elections were held, following the bylaw requirement that elections be held in odd numbered years. Since all but two people who agreed to serve were in attendance, and there was a quorum, the board came to formation as follows:
Alice Yothers, president
Susie Spiwak, vice-president
David Trapp, co-vice-president
Melinda Chinn, treasurer
Henry Heines, secretary
Mitch Landy, member-at-large
Pat Petersen, member-at-large
Suki Russack, member-at-large
Alex Perdew, member-at-large
Erica Messer, member-at-large
Cheryl Ann Fulton, member-at-large
Welcome new board members and thank you to all who are continuing to serve!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Karen Gottlieb by Suki Russack
It doesn’t seem possible that anyone who studies and plays the harp in the San Francisco Bay Area, would not know who Karen Gottlieb is. She has been outstanding in the harp world for many years, not just as a wonderful performer, but also as a teacher, an extremely skilled harp technician, an invaluable resource for professional harpists who want coaching for auditions, and for her wide experience and understanding of new music.
When I walked into her studio, all I could see of Karen was the top of her head as she peered up the inside of a harp column, attempting to screw in a newly greased pedal rod. She was in the middle of a harp regulation in which the harp needed a tubing assembly repair to get rid of a buzz in the column. Eventually, the rod was in place and Karen remarked that it had been easier than the previous rod repair that required extra adjustments. She also noted that harps that have annual regulations are much easier to keep in good working condition and have better intonation. In order to become a harp technician, Karen apprenticed at the Lyon and Healy harp factory. She has been certified to work on both L&H and Salvi instruments and is a member of their Harp Regulators Guild. There are two interesting essays on Karen’s website about her work in this field (www.kgharp.com).
One of Karen’s latest projects has been the production of a wonderful CD of 20th Century
harp music by Bay Area Composers. The music was chosen and recorded by Karen and comprises a very personal audio record of her life. She said that she deliberately avoided including any “Bang, Pluck, Scratch” pieces. She wanted the music to be accessible and friendly to the ear. The liner notes on her CD give some interesting personal details on Karen’s choices. Karen worked closely with the late composer Lou Harrison. She has included two of his pieces on this CD. It has been one of the great joys of her career to have worked with composers, educating and encouraging them on how to write more effectively for the harp. The CD is available for purchase or for download via iTunes at http://www.innova.mu/albums/karen-gottlieb/music-harp
When asked what role BACAHS has played in her career, Karen answered: “BACAHS … has given me the opportunity to interact with and be inspired by other harpists locally, nationally and internationally. It also gave me the opportunity to develop my leadership and organizational skills as an active member on the chapter boards as well as with the 2006 AHS National Conference. And I’ve made great friendships over the years. Ultimately this is what our chapter can offer all its members. It is an extended family of people with common interests.”
But why would a young person choose to study harp in the first place? I asked Karen exactly that. “When I was nine years old, I went to a concert where I heard Linda Rollo. 
Linda was 19 years old, had been studying for two years, and she played Salzedo’s ‘Song in the Night’. She looked like an ‘angel on a cloud’ and I immediately fell in love with her and the sight and sounds of the instrument. I begged my parents for lessons but they insisted that I take six months of piano lessons, to prove that I was serious about music before they would consider giving me harp lessons. The day the six months were up, I reminded them that I was ready to begin the harp.” The rest is history.
Karen and her Brother Mark performing an underwater rendition of the Blue Danube to break the Guinness World Record for Underwater Chamber Music Performance
MEMBER NEWS
Adaline (Stephens) Anaya, former student of Linda Rollo, has moved back to the Bay Area after graduating from Biola University with a degree in harp performance. She studied there with Mindy Ball and performed with their Orchestra and Wind Symphony, as well as in many ensembles. Adaline lives in Alameda with her husband, and is available to perform for weddings and events, as well as teaching piano and harp. contact aanaya@gmail.com or (510)352-7542.
Meredith Clark will be performing the Debussy Danses with the SF Chamber Orchestra in October. Details are here: http://www.thesfco.org/2015/06/in-praise-of-love/
Congratulations to Meredith for being awarded the principal harp position of the Arizona Opera this past January. She will continue to reside in the Bay Area except during the performance season, starting in October.
Anna Maria Mendieta soloed with the California Sound Collective inaugural concert in Benicia in August, under conductor David Ramadanoff, playing music by Opel, Becker, Mozart, Piazzolla and Ibert.
Alexandra Perdew is performing solo and ensemble works with Cormac De Barra, Vincenzo Zitello, and Dearbhail Finnegan at the Worlds Fair Milan taking place September 21-26. She will also do a recital in Indianapolis on October 8.
Dominique Piana will perform a small set of late romantic miniatures by Liszt, Godefroid, Oberthür, Posse, Strauss, Holý, and Kastner, on Friday October 23, at 10:30am for CCPAS (Contra Costa Performing Arts Society), at Grace Presbyterian Church in Walnut Creek.
Dominique recently republished five of Alice Lawson Aber-Count’s Krumpholtz titles, in time for the Historical Harp Society Conference held in Oakland last June, where she presented a paper on Jean-Baptiste Krumpholtz, taken from her own translation of his memoirs. Read Dominique’s Reminiscing on the 32nd Annual Historical Harp Society Conference.
Sage Po, who has studied under Lisa Stine, Laura Porter and most recently, Gretchen Van Hoesen, graduated from Carnegie Mellon University this May with a BFA in Harp Performance with University and College Honors. She gave the commencement speech for the School of Music…read more
Diana Rowan has been developing her World Harp Techniques six-week live web training http://dianarowan.com/world-harp-techniques-registration. This started September 1 with an overview of harp techniques from Africa, the Middle East, India, Asia, Europe and Latin America, and is the subject of all her own music and PhD dissertation. The next six-week live web training session will start November 3, and will focus exclusively on harp techniques from Africa. From there, it will be six-week sessions each on the Middle East, India, Asia, Europe and Latin America… read more
Lynn Taffin spent the summer reconnecting with colleagues all the way back to Tanglewood days. Along the road in France, Italy and Switzerland she worked with colleagues to collaborate on upcoming concert projects, coached another harpist for fall orchestral concerts and tuned up a former student’s harp to make sure she’s still practicing despite her busy new career as a marine biologist. Even students who move around the globe have to keep up their good work! Lynn is looking forward to upcoming studio ensemble projects this fall.
David Trapp, incoming BACAHS co-VP, announces that his composition, Penny Ante Jig, was accepted for publication in the Fall 2015 issue of the Folk Harp Journal, ISFHC (International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen). Congratulations, David!
Shannon Zheng, who received the Harpiana Prize at the Yvonne La Mothe Schwager competition in May, was featured in the Livermore-Amador Symphony Youth Orchestra (LAYSYO) this summer. She played Legende by Carl Stix, along with a 50-piece string ensemble. She received great acclaim, both for her playing and for the piece itself, a beautiful work in the Viennese romantic style, republished by Harpiana Publications.
BACAHS CALENDAR
Please insure that your events are included in the BACAHS calendar. Contact us at BACAHS@gmail.com with events for posting. Please let us know of any events that include and feature the harp as well.
REDWOOD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA performs Brahms, Daugherty and Hindemith. Tales of Hemingway for Cello and Orchestra by Daugherty has a fabulous harp part with all kinds of neat effects and lovely accompaniment figures played by Suki Russack. September 26, 2015, 8PM, Canada College Main Theater, Redwood City. http://www.redwoodsymphony.org/concerts/2015-16/concert1_2015.html
ANN HOBSON PILOT, Harpist / Kelly Hall-Tompkins, Violinist perform works by Donizetti, John Marson, Albeniz, Saint-Saens, John Williams/arr. Michael Maganuco, and Piazzolla. Saturday, October 10, 7:30pm. Regents Theater at Holy Names University. http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2149347
A Harpist’s Legacy – Ann Hobson Pilot and the Sound of Change, will be screened Sunday, October 11, at 3PM at Harps Etc. This documentary follows Ms. Pilot’s personal and professional journey as the first black woman principal player in a major symphony orchestra. From Pilot’s challenges of performing in the segregated south before and during the Civil Rights Movement, the documentary culminates in her performance of a harp concerto composed in her honor by John Williams and given its debut in the Boston Symphony Orchestra season opening concerts in 2009 at both Symphony Hall in Boston and at Carnegie Hall.
Ann Hobson Pilot will discuss the film, her career and the concerto. Potluck reception to follow. Purchase your tickets: http://bacharp.bpt.me
DOMINIQUE PIANA performs late romantic miniatures by Liszt, Godefroid, Oberthür, Posse, Strauss, Holý, and Kastner, on Friday October 23, at 10:30am for CCPAS (Contra Costa Performing Arts Society), at Grace Presbyterian Church in Walnut Creek. Admission: Free
SAN FRANCISCO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA—IN PRAISE OF LOVE. Featuring Meredith Clark at the harp, the program includes Claude Debussy’s Danses Sacrée et Profane; Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium), and more. October 23-25, multiple locations. http://www.thesfco.org/2015/06/in-praise-of-love/
SAVE THE DATE! Cafe Concert Series presents Cormac de Barra in a workshop and concert at Harps Etc., Saturday, November 14, 2015. More information to follow.
20 HARPS FOR THE HOLIDAYS CONCERT
Harpeggio Music will present their annual holiday harp concert on Saturday, December 5, 2015, 4:00 p.m. at Los Altos United Methodist Church, 655 Magdalena Avenue, Los Altos, California. The program features a studio ensemble of more than 20 harps playing a festive selection of music, including traditional carols and popular holiday music. Guest artist this year will be Patrick Ball, one of the premier Celtic harp players in the world and a captivating storyteller. Tickets are $15 for general admission, and $12 for children (4-12) and $12 for seniors (60+). For more information and to purchase tickets, please call Stephanie at (408) 366-8810 or email events@harpeggio.com. Proceeds go to Harpeggio Music to help support studio activities, including this concert.
ANNUAL WINTER POTLUCK DINNER: JANUARY 2016
Details to be announced. A sheet music “swap” is planned! Please go through your music bins and pull out all your no-longer-needed sheet music or books that you can share with others.
PACIFIC ARTS TRIO will perform for us on February 6, 2016 at 7:30pm at Harps Etc. The trio is comprised of Natalie Cox, harp, Alice Lenaghan, flute, and Dan Reiter, cello. Details to come!
SAVE THE WEEKEND: Harps Etc. 15th Anniversary International Harp Festival. The date is set for Memorial Day Weekend, May 26-29, 2016. There will be 4 days of fabulous workshops and concerts. The venue is a beautiful retreat center in the hills of Danville. Room and board are available on site for guests staying at the retreat center. Keep your eyes and ears open for more information to come.
CLASSIFIED ADS
Many great harps are available for sale and rent, as well as resources for harpists, on the Classified Ads page, including:
HARPS FOR SALE:
Beautiful Salvi Egan Electro-Acoustic Lever Harp, 38 strings. $6,000
Lyon and Healy Style 22, gold and bronze. $14,200
Lyon & Healy Grand Concert Harp, Style 23, Natural. $18,500
Cunningham wire strung 32 string celtic harp, no levers. 60″ tall. $1,500
Camac LeBleu 47 string, straight sound board, acoustic electric harp. $17,500
HARPS FOR RENT:
Salvi Diana, $150/month
Wurlitzer (bronze & gold) pedal harp-44 strings, $145/month
Lyon Healy troubador C’, $70/month
Beautiful Dusty Strings 36-string maple harp, $75/month
Lyon & Healy style 17, natural finish, pedal harp, $175/month
NEW AND USED PEDAL AND NON-PEDAL HARPS AVAILABLE AT HARPS ETC.
OTHER OFFERINGS:
HARP ENSEMBLES AT HARPS ETC. All ensembles are open to all ages and levels of playing. Learn to play with others and to follow a conductor, improve your reading, rhythm and performance skills and just have fun making music and new friends while playing the harp. Click here for more information.
HELP WANTED: Harps Etc. is seeking a harp teacher who can work with pedal and non-pedal harp students and has experience working with students of any age and level of experience. The ability to teach a wide range of musical styles, be community oriented and flexible is necessary. Please send a cover letter stating why you believe you are the best person for the position along with your resume and references to info@harpsetc.com.