Tenth Annual Santa Cruz Harp Festival

Presented by Community Music School

Saturday, June 28 at 7 p.m. Rio Theatre, 1205 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz

A celebration of the harp in its many forms, featuring Jesse Autumn (Double-strung harp & Harp Orchestra conductor), Shelley Phillips (Celtic harp & Chinese flute) Jennifer Cass (Classical harp), Cathleen O’Connell (Wire-strung harp), world music trio StringQuake (Electric harpist Amelia Romano, cellist Misha Khalikulov, and percussionist Josh Mellinger), the Community Music School Harp Orchestra performing traditional music from China and Japan, and special guest, local composer Barry Phillips (cello & tabla).

Across the ages, the harp has been both universal and unique in human musical experience, holding a sort of mystical place in our consciousness and enchanting us with a pure, transcendent sound. It is arguably the most ancient stringed instrument, found all over the world in many cultures; the origin of the harp goes all the way back to Mesopotamia, with the earliest harps found in Sumer around 3500 BCE.

In modern times, it has changed and developed in all sorts of ingenious ways, leading to the pedal or concert harp (the giant harps typically seen in orchestras or jazz ensembles) and the electric harp (special effects-ready, in all sorts of crazy shapes and colors!). The harp is also the national instrument of Ireland, Paraguay, and Burma.

Suggestion donation $10 – $20. Proceeds benefit youth music programs at the Community Music School, a non-profit educational organization.

A harp “petting zoo” will be available at intermission for curious concertgoers.

•••

For more info visit www.communitymusicschool.org