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| Harpists that Dazzle |
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Salzedo: On the Air
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Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961)
French-born Carlos Salzedo studied harp at the Paris Conservatory with the legendary French master Alphonse Hasselmans. His influence on today’s harpists is evidenced in the enduring popularity of his technical approach to harp playing, commonly referred to as the ‘Salzedo Method”
One of the most respected (and sometimes controversial) harp teachers, Salzedo established the harp department at the Curtis Institute of Music in 1924. He later founded the Salzedo Summer Harp Colony, in Camden, Maine, where he taught until his death there in 1961. |
Harpo Marx
(Plays Harp on Two Very Rare Albums from the ‘50s!)
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Harpo Marx (1888-1964)
Harpo’s unorthodox technique baffled the masters of harp, but he mesmerized the public. Long hours spent practicing combined with his comedic talents earned him international status as an entertainer.
He was the first American to perform in the USSR after the country was recognized by the Roosevelt administration, and he gave a command performance before the Queen of England.
His movie career made him an American icon and ensured that he would be recognized by generations long after his death. |
The Magic of The Harp
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Lily Laskine (1893-1988)
Lily Laskine was the first beginer student Hasselmans accepted, and she never had another teacher. She won the Premier Prix at the Paris Conservatory in 1906.
Discouraged by the paucity of repertoire for harp, Laskine did not seek a career as a soloist. She became the harpist of numerous orchestras.
She inspired Jean-Michael Damase, Bernard Andres and many others to write compositions for her that now enrich us all. |
Round the Corner
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Deborah Henson-Conant (1953- )
Harpist, singer, songwriter, author, entertainer – choose any of these monikers and they only partially describe Deborah Henson-Conant. Whether she is doing a one-woman show, touring with the Boston Pops, playing with jazz legends, or giving concerts, she has captivated audiences worldwide.
Henson-Conant has also shattered the image of a harpist in a long flowing gown. She has been a pioneer in jazz harp, and she’s still evolving. |
Harp Summit
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Park Stickney
One of the world's best known and loved jazz harpists, Stickney is based in New York City and Geneva. Although Park Stickney claims that it wasn’t his plan at the age of 10 to become a world-traveling jazz harpist, he did, in fact, embark on that path then by competing in the first International Jazz and Pop Harp Festival in 1978.
Since then, after finishing his studies at the Juilliard School in New York, he has become a highly-acclaimed soloist and founded a variety of ensembles whose music ranges from jazz to classical to rock.
Stickney has toured Hong Kong, India, and Sri Lanka four times with harpist Daphne Hellman (1995-98). |
The Nightingale
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Dan Yu
Since winning the First Prize in the 5th USA International Harp Competition in 2001, Dan Yu’s lyrical interpretations and technical mastery have dazzled audiences across three continents. She has performed solo recitals and chamber music concerts throughout the United States, Europe and Asia, and in the 2002-2003 season appeared to great acclaim at the Alice Tully Hall, New York, and the Wigmore Hall, London .
Her upcoming engagements include a solo recital in the Florence Gould Theater in San Francisco in May 2006 sponsored by the Victor Salvi Foundation.
In addition to performing, she has also given master classes throughout the United States and China |
More must-listen records available at the Hong Kong Harp Chamber
“A unique and major talent capable of bringing the art of harp playing and the way the world views it to an entirely new dimension’ - The New York Concert Review
Dan Yu at a New York Studio
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Park Stickney 'Okay, so power corrupts ... but, is it so bad to be corrupted by the power of an electric harp; to finally be able to compete with, say, guitarists? To turn up the volume a bit more, just to reach a little lesson about respect. To realize, finally, the harp's destiny as the king of all instruments!! Is that wrong? I don't think so.'
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