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| Paige Su |
Paige Su is a
singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who draws from an extensive background of
formal music training. She graduated from the renowned University of North
Texas College of Music (USA) with a degree in Flute and Harp Performance and
while there, she explored jazz and ethnic music from around the world.
Furthering her explorative nature, she now travels regularly to South India as
a devoted student of the Carnatic flute.
In
2011, combining all her musical talents into a singer-songwriter format, she
self-produced and released
her debut EP “Heterogeneous” - a fusion of Jazz, Pop and Alternative music. “Heterogeneous" has
received rave reviews from the Taipei Times (Taiwan),
FreshMusic (Singapore), and East
Day (China),
and Paige has recently been nominated for two awards by the AMP (Alliance of
Music Promoters in Taiwan, in the “EP of the Year” and “Future Shock”
categories as well as “Best New Artist” and “Best EP of the Year” by Freshmusic
Awards (Singapore).
A
dynamic and dedicated live musician, Paige is producing and performing a
concert series throughout 2012 entitled “Paige Su: No Boundaries” at Legacy
Taipei. The series includes a total of six distinct concerts and showcases
Paige’s multi-faceted musical identity. Each performance contains a different theme
and stylistic approach, with unique instrumentation and musical arrangements to
suit each theme. Paige exhibits a diverse talent and vision that is rare in the
pop/independent music world. Recognizing Paige’s breadth and vision, the Taipei
Times wrote that “Su shows the artistic depth needed to make intelligent pop
music.” Paige Su is “one to watch.”
Official
Website | www.paigesu.com
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| Robin Ward |
International harpist Robin Ward is a unique musician, in that he both builds and plays his own instruments. He is principally an exponent of the triple strung harp, and is continually pushing the boundaries of what can be played on the instrument, with many of the pieces he plays his own transcriptions. His repertoire encompasses music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic Periods, as well as music from Folk Traditions. Originally from New Zealand Robin is currently based in the UK, where he has been touring extensively. He is currently emerging as an international soloist.
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| Catrin Finch |
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| Maria Luisa Rayan-Forero |
Internationally renowned harpist, María Luisa Rayan-Forero has performed to critical acclaim in the USA, Europe, Latin America, China and Japan. Described by the New York Concert Review as "clearly an extremely talented, accomplished, experienced performer who can keep an audience listening with rapt attention," Ms. Rayan-Forero has been performing all over the globe for the past twenty years, bringing to audience a sense of muscianship and poetry in her playing.
Since making her first international appearance at age of eleven Ms. Rayan-Forero has come to be recognized as one of today's highly sought-after harpists as a recitalist, chamber musician, soloist with orchestra, teacher and arranger of music for the harp.
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| I-Sis Trio |
I-Sis Trio’s music has been described as the new wave of classical chamber music. The trio’s music are specially commissioned and carefully arranged to reflect the combination of traditional art form with contemporary interpretation of various forms of music like Tango, Jazz, and Asian. The unique collaboration - between members Cindy Yan (violin), Natasha Liu (cello) and Katryna Tan (harp) – has resulted in an exciting synergy apparent with every performance they give.
Formed in 2008, The trio received rave reviews for their successful full house performances in Singapore and Hong Kong. The trio has since been invited to perform in many countries including, Bangkok, Malaysia, China and most recently the trio has been invited to Canada to perform in July 2011. Their album “I-Sis: Passion” was released in 2011.
The Trio members are excellent musicians with a leading reputation—
Cindy Yan (Violin) is a multi-award violinist whose career has spanned from Shanghai to New Zealand and toured several Europe countries and Asia as concertmaster and soloist.
Katryna Tan (Harp) is Singapore’s National Arts Council Young Artist Award Winner 2005 and she is already an established soloist and a leading voice for the harp community in Singapore and Malaysia.
Natasha Liu (Cello) has won the Cavatina Chamber Prize in London and has performed in Denmark, UK, Russia and Singapore.
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| Mary Doumany |
Mary Doumany is recognised as one of Australia’s finest harpists. She has freelanced with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, works on film scores, and is also a songwriter, composer and educator.
She is a qualified Bodypsychptherapist, practising at Vitality Organic Allied Health Clinic in Melbourne and Purple Sage Clinic in Kyneton.
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| Moira Lawry and John Della-Torre |
Moira Lawry is one of Australia's foremost Contemporary Celtic harpists. In over 30 years of performance, and teaching, she has recorded 6 albums that reference her passions for the music of Turlough O'Carolan, traditional Celtic, Jazz, Latin, Healing and World Music. These interests have taken her to Festivals in Scotland and Ireland, and around Australia, where she has performed and taught at festivals, exhibitions, colleges and schools, television, theatre, and music as therapy in hospitals.
Highlights of her career include being selected in 1995 for a concert tour of southern Japan with the Dya Singh group, and in 2011 performed solo at the Sydney Opera House. Initially gaining qualifications in Music Teaching she then furthered her studies in Commercial Music.
Moira is classically trained, Celtic inspired and Jazz motivated. In her Latin and Jazz albums she pushes an ancient instrument to embrace changing fashions and styles of music. Versatile and committed to the harp, she has a private teaching studio in Tomerong, south coast NSW.
Moira is classically trained, Celtic inspired and Jazz motivated. In her Latin and Jazz albums she pushes an ancient instrument to embrace changing fashions and styles of music. Versatile and committed to the harp, she has a private teaching studio in Tomerong, south coast NSW.
John Della-Torre is one of Australia’s leading Classical Guitarists, and is highly regarded as both teacher and performer. Based in Adelaide, he has held teaching positions as Lecturer in Guitar at both the Elder Conservatorium of Music and TAFE. One of his great passions, apart from solo recitals, is to demonstrate the versatility of the guitar by working in the fields of jazz and contemporary music, and in various ensembles, some of which have been recorded by the ABC. More recently he has focused on music composition, and in the 2006 Adelaide Fringe Festival he premiered and performed his original works. One of the compositions, the “Passionata Suite”, has since been rearranged by John and Moira for guitar and harp, and along with his new composition “Latino Suite”, is featured on their CD “Passions" .
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| Cath Connelly |
Cath Connelly has been playing the Celtic harp professionally since 1998. She is now considered one of Australia's leading Celtic harpers, with her career flourishing since claiming 3rd prize (Seniors Division) in the 2004 Turlough O'Carolan Harp Competition, Nobber, County Meath, Ireland. These days Cath is very much in demand for concerts, weddings, conferences and workshops throughout Australia.
Cath has produced five gorgeous albums over the past six years, composing and arranging her own harp music as part of a rich, collaborative process with Greg Hunt and other skilled and sensitive musicians.
She is well known for performances that invite audiences to engage in quiet reflection and a deeper sense of being. In true Celtic fashion, Cath also incorporates storytelling into engaging concerts that span Irish folklore, Celtic tradition, music and spirituality. Her music is deeply grounded in the Celtic tradition, with its potential to dwell in that liminal space between the known and the unknown. It is here that Cath’s music melds contemporary spirituality with the ancient Celtic harp tradition.
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| Jacinta Dennett |
Jacinta Dennett is a versatile freelance harpist and teacher. She is currently Artistic Director of the Melbourne Harp Ensemble and member of Auburn Ensemble Australia and Duo Bliss. Jacinta has performed in orchestras in Australia, Singapore and New Zealand and with many ensembles including Libra Contemporary Ensemble. Her eclectic experience in performance also includes musicals, film, studio recording, showcase performing on cruise ships and residencies entertaining in hotels in Melbourne and Sydney.
As concert curator she has performed recitals featuring the harp touring throughout Australia. Her playing has been described as “beyond reproach” (The West Australian). In 2004 & 2008 Jacinta was invited to speak and give demonstrations on improving tone production at the Australian Harp Festival drawing on her knowledge gleaned during her career as a performer and teacher and her rich background in many forms of the arts and movement. Jacinta has worked with many composers and has compositions dedicated to her. As part of the inaugural Australian Harp Festival in Canberra she conceived and organized the first Australian Harp Composition Competition.
This year Jacinta directed the ‘Camp Street Harp Camp’ in January and she continues in her role as resident faculty and head of harp at the Australian National Academy of Music and also as harp and ensemble tutor at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Monash University and the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School.
Jacinta’s unique and insightful approach to teaching fosters and inspires growth of the student on many levels. Jacinta teaches students ranging in age from two to 70 plus. Harpists seek out her skills to help unlock debilitating tensions. Students expand their perceived potential and become free to explore the limitless options that music, art and creativity opens. This transformational teaching is individualised and encompasses musicology, historical and cultural context, interpretation, technique, posture, sensitive and intuitive programming of repertoire and many other things.
Jacinta is sponsored at the 5th Australian Harp Festival by the Harp Society of Victoria.
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| Emma Horwood |
Acclaimed soprano and harpist Emma Horwood is a music graduate of Adelaide University and much in demand as a performer, teacher and choral conductor. As a member of Adelaide Chamber Singers, Syntony and Eve Vocal Trio Emma has toured internationally and performed at WOMAD, in the Barossa, Coriole, Huntington Estate and Adelaide Festivals, for Musica Viva in Schools and live on ABC Classic FM. Emma presents frequent solo recitals, including recent performances in the Jurlique and Elder Lunchhour concert series, with Adelaide Baroque and sell-out solo shows in the 2011 Adelaide Fringe. A specialist in the art of accompanying her own singing on both Celtic and pedal harps, Emma's repertoire ranges from classical to Celtic and contemporary, with several premiere performances by Australian composers who have written specifically for her talents. Emma has recorded five solo CD’s all featured on ABC Classic FM.
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| Verna Lee Brown |
Verna Lee started harp at the age of 12 and made her solo debut at age 13. As a soloist, she has attracted critical acclaim for her performances. She is often invited to perform for festivals (including the 3rd Australian Harp Festival), music clubs and has toured nationally. She has performed numerous concertos with many Sydney orchestras. One of her career highlights was in 1996 when she was soloist with AYO at the Adelaide Arts Festival performing Ravel's Introduction and Allegro.
She has performed and studied in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Japan, Singapore and the United States. An active recitalist and chamber musician, she has played with various ensembles such as the Deutsche Kammerakademie Neuss. Other international artists she has worked with include the Kiev Ballet, Il Divo, Aled Jones, Tina Arena and she regularly accompanies Amelia Farrugia. She has worked and recorded with orchestras such as the Sydney Symphony, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony, Australian Philharmonic, Adelaide Symphony and was principal harp of Australian Youth Orchestra for 10 years. She won scholarships while she was at high school at the Conservatorium, gained her Bachelor of Music, and received High Distinction at Canberra School of Music Graduate Certificate in Performance while studying with Alice Giles.
A dedicated teacher, she teaches at several Sydney schools, at the Australian Institute of Music and has a busy private studio. She founded the Sydney Harp Eisteddfod which is now in its eighth year. She also organised the 2010 Australian Harp Weekend, bringing together many harpists from around the country and abroad. Apart from recording for television, radio and soundtracks, Verna and her harp had a lot of fun filming a scene in the movie “the Matrix”.
Verna also studied jazz harmony at the Sydney Conservatorium. This was followed by improvisation classes and private lessons with jazz legend Judy Bailey, who encouraged her to explore the world of jazz harmonies and chord charts.
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| Christine Morphett and Peter Franche |
Telenn Tri are Bulmers Folk Music Award 2011 winners for Open Duet in Australia.
Christine attended the Dinan Harp Festival in Brittany, France in 2011 and will be conducting a Breton workshop at the festival as well as performing with Telenn Tri.
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| Torin King |
Torin King is a modern day Minstrel. For over 15 years he has been enchanting audiences with his magical music and stories. A servent of the old Gods, Torin has devoted his life to the study and promotion of the music and culture of Northern Europe. His Harping blends ancient traditions with modern influences and he is particularly known for his sensitive and innovative interpretations of traditional Irish Faery tunes.
The Lake Macquarrie Post has described Torin as a “King of the Celtic Harp”, while the Newcastle Herald wrote that he has “breathed new life into an ancient instrument”. Torin has appeared on radio and television and his music has been featured in documentaries and films.
www.torinking.com
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| Catherine Dunlop |
Catherine
Dunlop studied at the RCM under Gwendolyn Mason, then did solo and ensemble
work, and ended up with a job in Singapore (not harping) for two years.
Having given up the harp, she went on to marry and have four children. 50
years later she came back to the harp by chance. She met British harpist Danielle
Perrett who was playing on a Norwegian
cruise which Catherine took. Danielle was able to tell her where two old
friends hers were. One was Rosemary St John (past Principal Harp with the
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and a fellow student at RCM), and the other was
Mercedes Garvey of Dublin, who was very cross with her for not still playing
the harp and encouraged her to go back to it. Now she cannot imagine life
without a harp, and is giving recitals, teaching and travelling around the
world to Harp Festivals.
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| Sue Raimond |
Sue
Raimond is considered a pioneer of harp
enrichment/therapy for pets and people, and is also among the world experts in
the field of cytocymaics and vibroacoustics pertaining to the harp. She was
educated at the University of Maryland (Weisbaden, Germany extension), and
later at California State University, Long Beach. She is an adjunct lecturer
specializing in pain management at the UC San Diego Thornton and Hillcrest
hospitals and for the International Harp Therapy Faculty in Richmond, VA. Tufts
University Veterinary School hosted Sue as a speaker for its International
Veterinary Symposium on Hospice Care for Animals. Additionally, the Scientists
Center for Animal Welfare (SCAW), in Baltimore, MD, had Sue address their
convention. Educators nation wide recognize and recommend her CDs for pets with
separation anxiety, thunder phobia and various other behavior modification
needs.
Sue's most recent zoo work includes establishing a harp enrichment program for
the San Diego Wild Animal Park (African and Asian elephants); San Diego Zoo
(primates); and the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, MA (gorillas, zebras and
giraffes). Veterinarians, ranchers and animal shelters in Dallas, TX also use
harp enrichment at their facilities to calm residents, eliminate negative
behaviors (i.e. cribbing), and facilitate easier birthing. Rescue facilities
such as "Lions, Tigers and Bears" also invited Sue to work with their
tigers and larger breed cats as prescribed enrichment.
The
U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)
consulted with Sue regarding use of harp as enrichment for animals and
published, with Sue Raimond as co-author. The results of the study on African
green monkeys appeared in the Journal of Medical Primatology, April 2007.
Balancing her schedule, Sue continues in her 21st
year as a firefighter/EMT; and continues her work as author, film maker, and
composer with over 13 CDs, books and films to her cedit. Recently, Sue accepted
the position of consultant for the National Standard Board for Therapeutic
Musicians with work in progress during 2008.
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| Louise Johnson |
Louise Johnson began her harp studies at the Sydney Conservatorium
of Music High School, and later studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music and
Salzedo Summer Harp School in the United States with the world renowned
teacher, Alice Chalifoux.
At 18, she was appointed Principal Harp
of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, a position she held for one year before
continuing her freelance career overseas. She lived in London between 1983 and
1985, performing with the London Symphony Orchestra as Guest Principal Harp and
Second Harp under the baton of Claudio Abbado and Richard Hickox. She also gave
recitals in Wigmore Hall and the Purcell Room.
Louise Johnson has performed with all the major Australian
symphony and opera and ballet Orchestras, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and
the Australia Ensemble. She also performed with artists such as Cher, Sammy
Davis Jnr and the Bee Gees, and has toured Australia with companies such as the
Bolshoi and Sadler’s Wells ballet, accompanying Rudolf Nureyev and Margot
Fonteyn. She has also played for the Bolshoi Opera and with Luciano Berio, in a
concert of his own works.
Having given her first performance with the Sydney Symphony
Orchestra at the age of 14, she later joined the orchestra as a permanent member,
and was appointed Principal Harp in 1985. She has worked under all of the major
Conductors since 1970, from Dean Dixon to Vladamir Ashkenazy.
She regularly appears as a soloist with the SSO. In 1990 she performed the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto with James Galway and in 2006 she performed Spohr’s Concertante for Violin and Harp with Michael Dauth. In 1996 she performed the Ginastera Harp Concerto in Seattle for the World Harp Congress.
Louise Johnson has taught harp at the Sydney Conservatorium for 26 years. She is in demand as a tutor and taught regularly at the Australian National Music Camp and is a Mentor for the Sydney Sinfonia.
Louise will be one of the Adjudicators for the Lyon and Healy Awards Competition.
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| Jayne Hockley |
Jayne Hockley is
a freelance harpist specialising in music for private functions in Sydney and
the Blue Mountains. She has an extensive repertoire of solo, duo and trio
music, much of which she has arranged herself. Her duo is with a flautist, and with the
addition of a cellist they form the trio. Other instrumentalists and singers
have also joined Jayne for a variety of performances. Jayne has played solo
for the Crown Prince of Thailand, Prince Edward, Elle MacPherson, and at the
wedding of Bec Cartwright and Lleyton Hewitt.
After obtaining her music degree
in harp performance, Jayne completed a postgraduate diploma in primary school
teaching and is a qualified Bowen therapist. She loves bushwalking, healthy cooking,
gardening, soap making and has even dabbled in coffee roasting. Teaching the
harp has always been a rewarding part of Jayne’s career. She enjoys
accommodating students of all levels, ages and aspirations.
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| Claire Patti |
With a voice that both transports and captivates, Claire captures audiences with her beautiful and
unique arrangements of both well-loved songs and original
compositions. Her diverse background in classical, jazz, folk, pop,
orchestral and choral music has led her down various paths of musical
life. Claire is a
performer, composer, conductor, teacher and multi-instrumentalist. She
has performed at several major music festivals around Australia, both as
a soloist and with Scottish music ensemble Taliska, charming audiences
far and wide. An honours graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts,
she has played (French horn) with major orchestras in Melbourne, touring
statewide in Victoria as well as internationally in China. Her passion
for singing and playing is closely followed by directing choirs and
ensembles. Two ensembles under her direction were first place winners at
the 2012 South Eastern Arts Festival, based in Victoria. One of these
groups, The Mazenod Tenortones, were winners in the 2012 ABC Classic FM
& Musica Viva national Vocal Romp competition. Claire has toured
nationally with ensembles and choirs such as internationally-acclaimed
and award-winning ensemble The Australian Voices, Gondwana Voices and
Berwick Youth Choir Claire has recently released her debut album,
'Little Red Shoes', a snapshot of her creative arrangements of
traditional Irish & Scottish songs.
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| Suneetha Carter
Suneetha Carter has been playing harp for over
25 years. She attended the University Of
Adelaide, Australia and University Of Toronto, Canada where she graduated with
a Bachelor Of Music in harp performance.
Her
experience is diverse ranging from solo, orchestral, opera, chamber ensemble,
television, and musical theatre productions in Australia, Canada and the
USA. She is currently taking jazz harp
lessons with Joanna Jordan in Toronto, Canada.
At the moment most of her time is spent doing freelance work and private
harp tuition.
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| Megan Reeve |
Megan has performed with a diverse
range of musical ensembles, from the Melbourne, Canberra and Tasmanian
Symphonies through to touring with Jose Carreras, the Bolshoi Ballet and Kanye
West for the U2 Vertigo tour. Her television appearances include ‘Good Morning
Australia’, ‘It Takes Two’, ‘Dancing with the Stars’, and ‘Spicks and Specks’.
She has recorded on both the Move and Naxos labels. Megan
has performed with Chamber Music Australia for the Melbourne International
Festival of the Arts and is a founding member of the chamber music group
‘Miscellany’.
Megan has extensive public speaking experience in Australia
and the United Kingdom. She was awarded ‘Best Conference Speaker’ at the Rotary
District 9810 conference in Adelaide, and is demand as a guest speaker.
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| Siobhan Owen |
Next year
Siobhan will make her UK and US debuts, with a number of concerts in Wales and
England in January, and headlining the Los Angeles St David’s Day Festival in
March. Siobhan’s fourth album “Storybook Journey” was released in June to great
acclaim, with “sublime vocals, heavenly harp and stunning instrumental
arrangements”.
Rosemary Hallo
Rosemary Hallo is currently a Postgraduate Candidate at The
University of Adelaide in musicology. The topic for her thesis encompasses
Erard harp and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa examining their contribution to harp
music-making in colonial Australia, 1830-1860. As a classically trained harpist
Rosemary has worked casually with many of the symphony orchestras around
Australia and as a freelance harpist for functions. Her passion for early harp
and subsequent collection of early instruments laid the foundation for her
current studies. Rosemary will use both early single-action and double-action harps, with invited guest performers,
to present a demonstration illustrating various Bochsa and similar nineteenth century repertoire
that was performed in the early days of Australian settlement. Many interesting
and intriguing stories associated with harps and musicians in mid nineteenth
century Australia will be shared.
Tabea Squire
Tabea
Squire
is a young musician living in Wellington, New Zealand. She has just completed
her Honours in Performance violin at the New Zealand School of Music, under
Helene Pohl. She has been composing seriously since her teens. She has had
works performed by professional and amateur groups in New Zealand, Australia
and the UK: these groups include the NZSO, the NZSO NYO, the Wellington
Sinfonia, the Manawatu Sinfonia, the SMP Ensemble, 'Duo Giocoso', and the
Wellington Youth Sinfonietta.
In 2011, the Manawatu Sinfonia performed
a work they had commissioned Squire to write for their 25th anniversary
celebrations: the 'Anniversary Overture'. In 2010, the Wellington Sinfonia and
REMU (Recorders and Early Music Union) performed a piece which they had
commissioned Squire to write for a collaborative concert: 'The Suneater', for
recorders and strings. She was also asked to write a piece for the young 'Duo
Giocoso', the winners of the 2009 ROSL competition; the piece, 'Hei Mātau' for
viola and piano, was performed in New Zealand and the UK.
In 2008, she was announced as the NZSO
NYO Young Composer-in-Residence. Her work, 'Feverdream', was on the 2008 NYO
programme and was performed in Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland and the
Hawkes Bay, under the conductor Jacques Lacombe.
Squire has been accepted as a finalist at
the NZSM Composer's Competition every year from 2007 to 2011, coming runner-up
second or third in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011. She has also been accepted for
the NZSO/Todd Corporation Young Composer Awards in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011,
winning Very Highly Commended in 2007. All of the works entered into the
competition were workshopped and recorded by the NZSO. In 2012, the RNZB
collaborated with the NZSO, and her 2007 work 'Tiszavirág' was choreographed by
Loughlan Prior, and performed to the public alongside other choreographed works
from the NZSO/Todd Awards.
In 2009, she wrote 'Dream Bird' for her
friend, harpist Ingrid Bauer. In 2010, Bauer released a CD called 'Dreambird',
which featured the eponymous work. Squire enjoys writing works for her friends,
including a piece written specifically for three violinists to use in a chamber
assessment, and a short piece for the Melbourne-based trumpeter Josh Rogan,
which will be premiered on the 8th of July, 2012. She has combined composition
and performance in her studies, making a study of the difficulties young
violinists have in playing contemporary music and writing an independent study
paper on the subject at university, which included a series of duets designed
to cover the apparent difficulties in contemporary music from a didactic point
of view.
In 2006, she won first prize at both the
NZCT National Secondary Schools' Composition Competition for her string quartet
'Random Berg 7' and the Big Sing Choral Composition Competition for her SSAATB
work 'Fragments'.
Her debut as a composer took place in
2004, when the composer was fourteen. The piece was 'Vogelsang Kanon', for
three recorders.
