No matter where you are in your harp journey, get inspired by the world class presenters and performers Somerset brings to you year after year.

Focus on a specific genre or technique, expand your area of study, discover and get inspired by music from all around the world.

Schedule of Events:

Thursday, July 18, 2024

1-2:30pm: Prevention of Injury - Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
1-2:30pm: Classical Favorites on the Lever Harp - Robbin Gordon-Cartier
1-2:30pm: Beginner's Basics - Debbie Brewin-Wilson
1-2:30pm: Venezuelan Caribbean Rhythms: Joropo - Angel Tolosa
1-2:30pm: The 4th Celtic Nation' - Music for Harp from Cornwall UK - Sarah Deere-Jones
1-2:30pm: On the Other Hand: Lead Sheet Arranging for Harp - Cindy Shelhart
1-2:30pm: Turlough O'Carolan - Eileen Gannon
1-2:30pm: Lap harp workshop: It’s Not a Toy - Kim Robertson
1-2:30pm: My Favorite Beautiful Tunes - Sue Richards
3:00-4:30pm: Renaissance Faire Tunes for Small or Big Harps - Erika Leiberman
3:00-4:30pm: Introduction to Paraguayan Music - Nicolas Carter
3:00-4:30pm: Beginner's Chord Basics - Debbie Brewin-Wilson
3:00-4:30pm: I Hate Sight Reading - Anna Dunwoodie
3:00-4:30pm: Basso Continuo for Lever Harp - Christa Patton
3:00-4:30pm: Invite Delight - Martha Gallagher
3:00-4:30pm: Youth Harp Program Day 1 - Nia Pierce
3:00-4:30pm: Improvisation, Composition, and Motif Toolkit - Emily Hopkins
3:00-4:30pm: SuperManx - Rachel Hair
5-7pm: Dinner Buffet in The NRG Restaurant (tickets sold separately)
7:00-9:00pm: Concert: Thursday Night - Eileen Gannon, Robbin Gordon-Cartier - Lifetime Achievement Award, Kim Robertson, Angel & Luis Tolosa
9:00pm: Thursday Night Reception Meet & Greet (in-person only
9:30pm: Scottish and Italian Dancing with Rachel Hair and Adriano Sangineto

Friday, July 19, 2024

9:30-11am: Pedalboards, Effect Pedals, & Amplification - Emily Hopkins
9:30-11am: Dexterity Exercises for Intermediates - Sue Richards
9:30-11am: Start Memorising - Anna Dunwoodie
9:30-11am: Ancient Romantic music from Venezuela - Angel Tolosa
9:30-11am: More Spanish Dances! - Christa Patton
9:30-11am: Composing and Telling a Story with the Harp - Adriano Sangineto
9:30-11am: Youth Program Day 2 - Nia Pierce
9:30-11am: Celtic Christmas - Kim Robertson
9:30-11am: CALIFYPSO! A Musical Game for 1 – 100 players - Deborah Henson-Conant
9:30-11am: The Scottish Bard: melodies of Robert Burns - Rachel Hair
11am-1pm: Grab and Go Options available in the Festival Lobby
11am: Vendor Hall Opens!
11:15am-12:45pm: Lunchtime Concert - Bedside Harp - Bedside Harp
11:30am-12:30noon - DIY Knot Tying - Liza Jensen
11:30-12:30 - Repertoire for every patient! - Jen Narkevivius
12-12:45pm: Small Harp Tasting - Kim Adamson and special guests
1-2:30pm: Performing at Dickens Festivals! - Erika Lieberman
1-2:30pm: Venezuelan Orquídea - Angel Tolosa
1-2:30pm: The Medieval Harp in England Lecture - Sarah Deere-Jones
1-2:30pm: Create Rhythm & Harmony with the Seasons - Martha Gallagher
1-2:30pm: Performance Ready - Robbin Gordon-Cartier
1-2:30pm: Youth Harp Day 2 - Nia Pierce
1-2:30pm: Harp in Traditional Irish Sessions - Eileen Gannon
1-2:30pm: Dominant Chords: Unleash The Fancy Factor! - Deborah Henson-Conant
1-2:30pm: Italian Traditional Songs - Adriano Sangineto
3-4:30pm: Prevention of Injury - Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
3-4:30pm: Latin American music for Celtic Harp - Nicolas Carter
3-4:30pm: Beginner's Coordination Basics - Debbie Brewin-Wilson
3-4:30pm: Sharing the Harp: Streaming, Video Production, and Social Media - Emily Hopkins
3-4:30pm: Medieval Harp Technique - Sarah Deere-Jones
3-4:30pm: Kiwi Celt Tunes - Anna Dunwoodie
3-4:30pm: Dancing the Tune - Eileen Gannon
3-4:30pm: Pachelbel Boot Camp - Edie Elkan
3-4:30pm: Playing With A Friend - Sue Richards
4:30-5:30pm: LearningTheHarp.com Meet-Up - Erika Lieberman
5-7pm: Dinner Buffet in The NRG Restaurant (tickets sold separately)
7:00-9pm: Friday Concert - Christa Patton, Sarah Deere-Jones, Rachel Hair, Adriano Sangineto
9:30-11:00pm: Somerset's Got Talent! (Sign-Up at the Festival Desk)

Saturday, July 20, 2024

9:30-11am: Morning to Midnight - Original Tunes for All Occasions - Sue Richards
9:30-11am: Composing in a Traditional Style - William Jackson
9:30-11am: Lever It Up - Robbin Gordon-Cartier
9:30-11am: The Double Effect: Arranging for Double-Strung Harp - Cindy Shelhart
9:30-11am: Regency Music for Lever Harp - Sarah Deere-Jones
9:30-11am: Wedding repertoire: "Entre Ramis" - Nicolas Carter
9:30-11am: Irish Slow Airs - Gráinne Hambly
9:30-11am: Youth Program Day 3 - Nia Pierce
9:30-11am: Let's Have a Dance with the Harp - Adriano Sangineto
9:30-11am: Sing & Play Harp: Basic Accompaniment Patterns & Fills - Deborah Henson-Conant
9:30-11am: Technique Tune up for the Lazy Harpist - Kim Robertson
9:30am-3:00pm: Build a Harp (Waring Harp Kit sold separately) - Dennis Waring
11am-1pm: Grab and Go Options available in the Festival Lobby
11am: Vendor Hall Opens!
11:30am-12:15pm: Lunchtime Concert - Youth Harp Program and Cicely Tyson School of Performing Arts
11:30am-12:30noon - DIY 2: Tuning - Liza Jensen
11:30-12:30 - Preventing and avoiding injuries: Ergonomics for Therapeutic (and Other) Settings - Jen Narkevivius
12-12:45pm: Large Harp Tasting - Kim Adamson and special guests
1-2:30pm: Recording and Refining the Harp Digitally - Emily Hopkins
1-2:30pm: Ancient Harp of Scotland - William Jackson
1-2:30pm: A Round and A Round - Anna Dunwoodie
1-2:30pm: Harp Making History and Round Table with Michele Sangineto: From Da Vinci to Today - Adriano Sangineto
1-2:30pm: Venezuelan Merengue - Angel Tolosa
1-2:30pm: Learn Two of Alfredo's Famous Compositions - Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
1-2:30pm: Adapting Classical Music for Double-Strung Harp - Cindy Shelhart
1-2:30pm: Youth Program Day 3 - Nia Pierce
1-2:30pm: Slides & Polkas & More Irish Dance Tunes - Gráinne Hambly
1-2:30pm: Powerful Harmonic Progressions - Deborah Henson-Conant
1-2:30pm: Extremely Slow Airs - Kim Robertson
3-4:30pm: Playing More with Less - Edie Elkan
3-4:30pm: Using the Harp in Music Therapy - William Jackson
3-4:30pm: Latin American style waltz: “Luna LLena" - Nicolas Carter
3-4:30pm: Mindfulness and the Art of Improvisation - Martha Gallagher
3-4:30pm: Medieval Melodies - Christa Patton
3-4:30pm: The Gigging Harpist: A Walk on the Business Side Lecture - Erika Lieberman
3-4:30pm: Thomas Moore’s Irish Melodies - Gráinne Hambly
3-4:30pm: Learning “Metropolis” by Adriano Sangineto - Adriano Sangineto
3-4:30pm: Scottish Sessions for the Scared - Rachel Hair
5-7pm: Dinner Buffet in The NRG Restaurant (tickets sold separately)
7:00-9pm: Saturday Concert - Sue Richards, Alfredo Rolando Ortiz, Gráinne Hambly and William Jackson, Deborah Henson-Conant
9:30pm: Harpers' Escape Play Along - Hambly, Jackson, DeAngelo, Brewin-Wilson

Sunday, July 21, 2024

8am: Celtic Service - Debbie Brewin-Wilson
9:30am-5:30pm: ADD-ON: Harpers' Escape - Brewin-Wilsom, Hambly, Jackson, DeAngelo
9:30-11am: Las Folías de España - Christa Patton
9:30-11am: The Rhythmic and Expressive Harp - Alfredo Rolando Ortiz
9:30-11am: The RenFaire Harpist: How to Get the Job Lecture - Erika Lieberman
9:30-11am: Pop! Goes the Double: Modern Music for Double-Strung Harp - Cindy Shelhart
9:30-11am: Beginner’s Blues - Martha Gallagher
9:30-11am: Hop Jig - Eileen Gannon
9:30-11am: Youth Harp Program Day 4 - Nia Pierce
9:30-11am: Wistful Waltzes - Rachel Hair
9:30-11am: Get Your Best Sound: Improve Your Tone - Robbin Gordon-Cartier
11am-3:00pm: Exhibit Hall Opens
12:00pm-1:00pm: Concert - Cindy Shelhart, Martha Gallagher

Saturday, July 27, 2024

10:00-11:30am: Beauty from the Beginning - Sunita Staneslow
10:00-11:30am: Irish Songs and Dance Tunes: Exploring their Intertwined World - Hannah Flowers
10:00-11:30am: Shaping Melody and Making Your Harp Sing - Shelley Fairplay
10:00-11:30am: Japanese Songs Still in My Heart - Tomoko Sugawara
1-2:30pm: Glistening Glissandos - Sunita Staneslow
1-2:30pm: Navigating Lever Shifting Repertoire - Amelia Romano
1-2:30pm: Chasing the Bunnies + Other Technique Glitch Fixes - Shelley Fairplay
1-2:30pm: Old and New Hetrophonic Arrangements - Tomoko Sugawara
3-4:30pm: Early Gaelic & Welsh Harp Music - Ann Heymann
3-4:30pm: Elegant Contemporary Irish Tunes - Hannah Flowers

Sunday, July 28, 2024

10:00-11:30am: My Favorite Arrangements - Sunita Staneslow
10:00-11:30am: Play Odd Meter Music with Confidence - Amelia Romano
10:00-11:30am: Stories with Harp for Young Children - Shelley Fairplay
10:00-11:30am: Turkish Scales and Song - Simcha Tzuf
1-2:30pm: The Art of a Beautiful Tone - Sunita Staneslow
1-2:30pm: The Business Side of Music - Kathy DeAngelo
1-2:30pm: Lap Harp Olympics - Shelley Fairplay
3-4:30pm: Historical interpretations of Carolan - Ann Heymann
3-4:30pm: Therapeutic Scales in Old Mystical Jewish Music - Simcha Tzuf

Fest Date: July 18 - 21 & 27 - 28, 2024

Location: Hilton Parsippany - 1 Hilton Court Parsippany, NJ 07054

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