AHS Northwest Region Newsletter

NORTHWESTERN REGION NEWSLETTER

From Your Regional Director . . .

Dear Northwest Region members,

Harpists across our region are off to another great year. With everyone's busy schedules, it's wonderful to connect and get a sense of the larger community we are a part of in the Northwest. If you are a member in an area without an active chapter, please contact me and send me any news. I would love to hear from you anytime throughout the year! Another way to connect is to use our Facebook group: American Harp Society-Northwest Region.

All the best in the year to come,

Catherine Case

Northwest Regional Director

northwesternrd@harpsociety.org

Seen at the Summer Institute . . .

Our small gathering at the Regional Lunch during the 2017 AHS Institute in Minnesota. Hoping for a bigger turnout this summer in the Redlands, CA! From left: Western Regional Director Cheryl Ann Fulton, Eugene Chapter President Laura Zaerr, AHS Board members Ray Mooers and Catherine Case.

National News

43rd AHS, Inc. National Conference in Redlands, CA

The 2018 National Conference will be held this June 27-30 at the University of the Redlands in Southern California. Hosted by the Inland Valley Chapter, this promises to be an exciting event! Highlights include an opening night concert by Metropolitan Opera principal harpist Emmanuel Ceysson, along with workshops on Latin music and jazz, Hollywood harpists, Youth and Adult ensemble opportunities and more. Visit www.AHSConference.org for updates and registration.

Regional Changes

A multi-year regional reorganization is underway, with an overall goal of creating a more even distribution of chapters within regions. The current regions and chapters can be found at www.HarpSociety.org/Chapters.

New AHS Member Portal

Please take a moment if you haven't already, to check out our new online member portal on our website, and update your directory listing. This is different from your account profile, and is important to update, as this information will be used for the printed directory!

Keep an eye out for the monthly e-news from AHS, which provides timely information on programs available to chapters and news of national events!

AHS Grants Program

The AHS, Inc. Grant Program has funded over 100 grant projects since the fall of 2010 and continues this year. Application deadline for the next cycle is March 15, 2018. Individuals and chapters can apply! Check the website for details! www.harpsociety.org/About/Programs/GrantsProgram .

Vancouver B.C. Chapter- West Coast Harp Society

British Columbia, Canada


Northwest Regional Director, Catherine Case and Vancouver B.C. West Coast Harp Society Chapter President, Elizabeth Volpé Bligh, in Hong Kong

Some members of our chapter attended the World Harp Congress in Hong Kong, and several participated. Elizabeth Volpé Bligh's opening gala ensemble performance and workshop on editing orchestra parts were very well-received. Joy Yeh performed a world premiere of a duet commissioned for her and former BC harpist Andrew Chan. Vivian Chen performed two pieces, and Kaori Otake performed Legende by Renié in a very successful fund-raising concert. Kaori's mother, Kayo, sold her paintings at this concert. Miya Otake was an official photographer for the WHC. Nathania Ko performed and also was a member of the host committee. She was often spotted running around helping with concerts and lectures. Marilyn Rummel followed up by going to Guanzhou, China to teach some master classes.

The next WHC will be in 2020 in Cardiff, Wales. Advanced students should start thinking about applying for the Focus on Youth concerts.

Our chapter has its own web site now, where we post event information, and will eventually have a ticket-selling button. It is www.westcoastharpsociety.org

Our meeting minutes are on the membership tab. https://www.westcoastharpsociety.org/meeting-minutes

Rosanna Chiu played in a benefit concert for the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre and the YWCA on Saturday Sept. 9, 8pm at Christ Church Cathedral. The program consisted of music all written by women composers. The harp parts were in Clarke's Viola Sonata and Lili Boulanger's D'un Matin de Printemps

Arpanatolia, a Turkish group which features a pedal harpist, performed at the Chan Centre Oct. 25 or 26, 2017. They impressed the audience at the World Harp Congress in Hong Kong.

Rebecca Blair hosted a workshop on "Mindful Performance Practice" with Prem Selver on November 11, 1:00 - 5:00 PM at Penny Parry's place. Contact Rebecca at www.dancingharp.com for more information.

Rebecca is also offering Celtic Harp workshops with Rebecca Blair

Coquitlam: Sunday, November 5th, 1:00- 5:00 PM at Place des Arts.

Kitsilano : Saturday, November 25, 1:00 - 5:00 PM: 2526 West 5^th Avenue

Russian virtuoso Sasha Boldachev will be coming to give a concert and master class on Feb.3 and 4, 2018 at UBC and another location TBA.

This is the 31st anniversary of Marilyn Rummel's Celtic Harp Week in Wells, BC. She had a guest artist, cellist Morag Northey, who will be coming to Duncan in February 23 and 24, 2018 to do a workshop on harp and cello ensemble music for adults and teens. All levels, including novice, in both instruments. It will be 2 mornings and afternoons. Morag will also perform her new theatre/cello work called "17". Check the website www.westcoastharpsociety.org for details and how to sign up, or contact Marilyn.

Marilyn Rummel is going to the Dinan Harp Festival in France July 17-21, 2018. It is an annual event in a beautiful medieval town in the Brittany area. It is all about lever and historical harps. Marilyn's students are going to give concerts to raise money to help defray their costs. There is room for some Vancouver students from the age of 16 - 24 who would like to participate.

Motoshi Kosako will be coming again to do a concert and workshop on June 30 and July 1, 2018.

Students of Joy Yeh received many honors at the Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival this year: Erika Liu was awarded the VKMFS Medallion (Baroque), Aoyama Harp of Canada LTd Rising Star Scholarship and Most Promising New Artist Scholarship. Adina Ragetli received the VKMFS Medallion (Concert Group) and Eileena Fan received the Aoyama Harp of Canada LTd Rising Star Scholarship. They will be featured with other students of Joy Yeh at the concert series of the Vancouver Women's Musical Society on December 6th, 2017, Unitarian Church of Vancouver, 11am.

Joy Yeh will be the soloist at the concert of the Laudate Singers on December 10th at St. Andrew's United Church, 3pm.

Eugene Chapter

Oregon

Member News

Laura Zaerr served on the committee for the new AHS Young Composers Program at the 2017 Summer Institute in Minnesota this past June. Her student, Isabelle Gatien, was a participant and featured performer at the Institute.

Laura has a new music video out, which you can check out at www.laurazaerr.com. Harp students Merennan and Isabelle Gatien are featured, but you'd never know Isabelle, as she is the horse head!

Laura has also begun working with ArtsCare, a program that offers harp music and fun art projects for people in the hospital and cancer survivors. Lisa Lynn and Laura have started a series of interactive concerts, HeartStrings, playing a short concert and then handing out harps for people to try. They have about 20 people all sitting in a circle plinking away on tiny harps. These concerts are geared toward cancer survivors.

Laura Zaerr is performing a set of two lullabies she arranged for harp with orchestra December 21 in Eugene with the Riverside Chamber Symphony. These Celtic lullabies can be done on pedal or lever harp.

Wyoming

There is no active chapter in Wyoming at this time.Jane Ann Hamman from Casper reported this news of her various performances:

I'm doing the Wyoming premier of David Volpe's Riverbed for alto flute, harp and bassoon on September 15 on the Redstone Recital Series. On October 20, I'm performing Lou Harrison's Suite for Cello and Harp on the Lou Harrison Centenary Concert at Casper College. In December, the Casper Harp Ensemble will perform as part of the Casper College Christmas Tapestry.

Boise Chapter

Idaho

Chapter News

Boise harp student Chelsey Conde (who went to University in Utah to study harp) just got married, and Kate Schiers, who graduated high school this year, began university in Hawaii this year!

Idaho Member News

Dr. Alicia McQuay is the new head of the harp department at Brigham Young University Idaho. She is also Principal Harpist of the Idaho Falls Symphony. Justine Turcotte is the newly appointed Adjunct Professor of Harp at Brigham Young University Idaho and is Principal Harpist with the Rexburg Tabernacle Orchestra.

Greater Seattle Chapter

Washington State

The Greater Seattle Chapter had their annual fall meeting on Oct. 15, with special presentations and performances by Bill McJohn on the triple harp, Tamlyn Zawalick on the cross-strung harp and Joyce Rice on the Dilling harp. Ben Albertson also performed to feature the modern pedal harp.

The AHS Auditions and Evaluations program will be held on Saturday, February 10 and March 10 at St. Andrew Church in Renton. Valerie Muzzolini Gordon, Principal Harpist of Seattle Symphony will be the guest auditor.

This January 2018 we will have another harp-a-thon, in a hospital or nursing home. Stay tuned for more details!

The Chapter Spring meeting will be held on May 6, 2018 at 2 p.m. at Dusty Strings. There will be a student recital and a tour of the Dusty Strings factory.

Susan Haas has recorded an album of carols from around the world, titled "The Road to Christmas." She ' ll be playing in the large dining atrium at Seatac International Airport Dec. 16-24, 5-11am.

Saturday, December 2, at 3:00 PM. South Sound Strings Harp Ensemble presents their "Christmas Concert, with harps, voice, flute and a touch of jazz" at Schneebeck Concert Hall at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. Directed by Patricia Wooster. Free admission!

Laurie Riley was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Somerset Folk Harp Festival this year. Laurie ' s primary instrument may be a double-strung harp, but she has achieved a triple crown in the folk harp world by her creative contributions in three distinct areas of harp-making and playing: by study of the harper ' s direct physical approach to the harp; by initiating efforts to collaborate with a couple of harp-makers to develop a double-string lever harp; and by developing a place for the harp in a therapeutic environment.

Australian harpist, Jacinta Dennett, gave a lecture recital on Oct. 29. She performed repertoire based on her PhD research on Australian women composers of the harp.

Catherine Case performed at the World Harp Congress in Hong Kong in July, 2017.

Alaska

No active chapters at this time.

Utah Chapter

Utah

Member News

Katie Damon performed a recital of her upcoming competition repertoire for the Mexico International Harp Competition on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 2 pm in Dumke Recital Hall on the University of Utah Campus.