Upcoming Chapter Events
Saturday, March 29, 2025, 2:00 pm. Our Annual Student Education Sessions recital will take place at New Community Church, 1100 Middle Ave, Menlo Park, CA. There are 22 participants this year. The recital is free and open to the public. Come and hear the wonderful harpists in our chapter! SES is an annually recurring event, sponsored by the American Harp Society, under the official name of Auditions and Evaluations. Our own Sonya Yu oversees the AHS national program. Participants, from the youngest and newest harp students through advanced pre-college musicians, prepare two harp pieces and perform them, via video submission, for an adjudicator in Session I. The adjudicator gives verbal and written feedback to the student to help them practice and improve. Session II takes place a month or two later, in the form of a public recital with all the participants. This year's adjudicator is Linda Wood Rollo.
STANFORD LIVE is featuring the Harp in their 2024-25 Concert series, and is bringing 4 different wonderful harpists to perform. Read More About the Series.
March 15, 2025 - Stanford Live presents harpist Lavinia Meijer in concert at The Studio at 7:00 pm. Lavinia was the 2004 USA International Harp Competition bronze medalist and has made an amazing career in contemporary music, with three consecutive albums hitting the Top 10 Dutch rock charts. This concert will feature contemporary "classical" music, by composers such as Philip Glass. Concert information and tickets.
Thursday, April 3, 2025 - Brandee Younger performs on harp with Sona Jabarteh on kora in a concert titled, Strings of Hope: A Song For Tomorrow, 7:30 pm. Concert information and tickets.
Sunday, April 6 at 2pm - We look forward to seeing you for our quarterly Harp Social! Location is 173 Sierra Vista Ave, Unit 1 in Mountain View. All are welcome! This is not a recital - just a place to share your music and love for the harp. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to [email protected]. (Feel free to call Tzipora Henig if you have trouble finding it. Phone number in newsletter.)
The biennial Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition is sponsored by the Bay Area Chapter of the AHS and will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025 in Palo Alto. Registration deadline is April 19. A large number of our student chapter members have entered the the competition in the past and have done very well. If you are interested in taking part in the competition, please see the repertoire link and complete information here.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 7:30 pm. Dan Levitan performs with the Mission Chamber Orchestra at DeAnza College Performing Arts Center. Dan will be performing Henriette Renié's Concerto for Harp in C minor. Also on the program are works by Smetana, Avshalamov, Mendelssohn, and Moleiro. Additional information and tickets.
Saturday, June 14, 2025, 2:00 pm. Social event to honor Dan Levitan for his many years of outstanding service and performance in Silicon Valley. To be held at the home of Tamara Mead in Palo Alto.
Monthly on the third Friday afternoon of the month, Harp Live continues to meet via Zoom. All are welcome to join in to chat, pick up harp tips, play a piece you are working on, or just listen in and enjoy the company of other harpists. Contact Sue Dinwiddie at s.dinwiddie (at) icloud.com for more information and the Zoom link.
The first ever AHS Harp Ensemble Festival, which was scheduled to be part of the 2025 AHS Summer Institute, has been postponed until 2027, in order to give schools and other organizations more time to prepare and raise funds to attend. (The link above provides all the information about ages, divisions and rules.) SVCAHS is planning to send TWO youth harp ensembles to the festival, thanks to a very generous $3000 matching grant from Karen Gottlieb: The Silicon Valley Youth Harp Ensemble (YES), led by Sonya Yu ([email protected]), and the San Jose Youth Symphony Harp Ensemble, led by Kristal Schwartz ([email protected]). Please contact Sonya or Kristal for information about joining these two established ensembles. Additionally, harpists can enter as duets, trios or quartets, or form their own ensembles.
STANFORD LIVE is featuring the Harp in their 2024-25 Concert series, and is bringing 4 different wonderful harpists to perform. Read More About the Series.
March 15, 2025 - Stanford Live presents harpist Lavinia Meijer in concert at The Studio at 7:00 pm. Lavinia was the 2004 USA International Harp Competition bronze medalist and has made an amazing career in contemporary music, with three consecutive albums hitting the Top 10 Dutch rock charts. This concert will feature contemporary "classical" music, by composers such as Philip Glass. Concert information and tickets.
Thursday, April 3, 2025 - Brandee Younger performs on harp with Sona Jabarteh on kora in a concert titled, Strings of Hope: A Song For Tomorrow, 7:30 pm. Concert information and tickets.
Sunday, April 6 at 2pm - We look forward to seeing you for our quarterly Harp Social! Location is 173 Sierra Vista Ave, Unit 1 in Mountain View. All are welcome! This is not a recital - just a place to share your music and love for the harp. Light refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to [email protected]. (Feel free to call Tzipora Henig if you have trouble finding it. Phone number in newsletter.)
The biennial Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition is sponsored by the Bay Area Chapter of the AHS and will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025 in Palo Alto. Registration deadline is April 19. A large number of our student chapter members have entered the the competition in the past and have done very well. If you are interested in taking part in the competition, please see the repertoire link and complete information here.
Saturday, May 3, 2025, 7:30 pm. Dan Levitan performs with the Mission Chamber Orchestra at DeAnza College Performing Arts Center. Dan will be performing Henriette Renié's Concerto for Harp in C minor. Also on the program are works by Smetana, Avshalamov, Mendelssohn, and Moleiro. Additional information and tickets.
Saturday, June 14, 2025, 2:00 pm. Social event to honor Dan Levitan for his many years of outstanding service and performance in Silicon Valley. To be held at the home of Tamara Mead in Palo Alto.
Monthly on the third Friday afternoon of the month, Harp Live continues to meet via Zoom. All are welcome to join in to chat, pick up harp tips, play a piece you are working on, or just listen in and enjoy the company of other harpists. Contact Sue Dinwiddie at s.dinwiddie (at) icloud.com for more information and the Zoom link.
The first ever AHS Harp Ensemble Festival, which was scheduled to be part of the 2025 AHS Summer Institute, has been postponed until 2027, in order to give schools and other organizations more time to prepare and raise funds to attend. (The link above provides all the information about ages, divisions and rules.) SVCAHS is planning to send TWO youth harp ensembles to the festival, thanks to a very generous $3000 matching grant from Karen Gottlieb: The Silicon Valley Youth Harp Ensemble (YES), led by Sonya Yu ([email protected]), and the San Jose Youth Symphony Harp Ensemble, led by Kristal Schwartz ([email protected]). Please contact Sonya or Kristal for information about joining these two established ensembles. Additionally, harpists can enter as duets, trios or quartets, or form their own ensembles.
Member News and Events
Saturday, April 5, 2025, 7:30 pm. Renee Qin, harp, in a multimedia concert, Beneath the Waves, Beyond the Stars. This performance explores the fusion of harp, electronic music, generative visuals, and interactive technologies, creating an immersive experience. Stanford Campbell Recital Hall. Free Admission https://events.stanford.edu/event/capstone-concert-renee-qin The program features Renee's original compositions, including harp solo with soundtrack, harp solo improvisation with interactive audiovisual experience, and a chamber group of harp, violin, cello, piano, and percussion with real-time visuals that respond dynamically to the music, and more.
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 3:00 pm. Stephanie Janowski will perform with the San Jose Wind Symphony in their "For Ed" concert. The concert is a tribute honoring the 20-year legacy of Dr. Edward C. Harris, who served as music and artistic director of the SJWS until his retirement in 2022. In honor of Ed's instrument, the concert features Steve Sanchez, clarinetist, performing Oscar Navarro's II Concerto. The concert also features some of Ed's favorite works for band, as we celebrate his passion, dedication, and the musical excellence he fostered. McAfee Performing Arts Center, Saratoga. For information and tickets, see sjws.org.
April 6th, 2025, 2:00 pm - San Francisco Conservatory of Music Faculty Artist Recital Series: Jennifer Ellis - at Sol Joseph Recital Hall (50 Oak St., San Francisco)
Friday, April 25, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Tamara Mead, solo harp music at Gamble Garden fundraiser. THE ELIZABETH F. GAMBLE GARDEN
1431 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Sunday, April 27, 2:00 pm. Tamara Mead plays harp for an unusual public memorial service for Pericles, aka "Perry" the donkey, who was the animation model for "Donkey" in the Shrek movies. One of the famous "Palo Alto Donkeys". Open to the public: Bol Park, Palo Alto.
July 28 - August 1, 2025: San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) will host their Summer Harp Immersive. More info here .
Please email svcahs (at) gmail.com with your member news and upcoming events to share!
Sunday, May 18, 2025, 3:00 pm. Stephanie Janowski will perform with the San Jose Wind Symphony in their "For Ed" concert. The concert is a tribute honoring the 20-year legacy of Dr. Edward C. Harris, who served as music and artistic director of the SJWS until his retirement in 2022. In honor of Ed's instrument, the concert features Steve Sanchez, clarinetist, performing Oscar Navarro's II Concerto. The concert also features some of Ed's favorite works for band, as we celebrate his passion, dedication, and the musical excellence he fostered. McAfee Performing Arts Center, Saratoga. For information and tickets, see sjws.org.
April 6th, 2025, 2:00 pm - San Francisco Conservatory of Music Faculty Artist Recital Series: Jennifer Ellis - at Sol Joseph Recital Hall (50 Oak St., San Francisco)
Friday, April 25, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm - Tamara Mead, solo harp music at Gamble Garden fundraiser. THE ELIZABETH F. GAMBLE GARDEN
1431 Waverley Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Sunday, April 27, 2:00 pm. Tamara Mead plays harp for an unusual public memorial service for Pericles, aka "Perry" the donkey, who was the animation model for "Donkey" in the Shrek movies. One of the famous "Palo Alto Donkeys". Open to the public: Bol Park, Palo Alto.
July 28 - August 1, 2025: San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) will host their Summer Harp Immersive. More info here .
Please email svcahs (at) gmail.com with your member news and upcoming events to share!