Judy Loman (Canada)
Recognised as one of the world's foremost harp virtuosos, Judy Loman graduated from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with the celebrated harpist, Carlos Salzedo. In 2002 Judy retired from her position as Principal Harpist with the Toronto Symphony, which she had held since 1960, and now dedicates her time to teaching, recording, performing and publishing her arrangements and transcriptions. She is a recipient of Canada 's Juno Award for best classical recording, and the Canada Council's Grand Prix du Disc. She has adjudicated at The International Harp Contest of Israel and the USA International Harp Competition. As a soloist, Judy Loman has won the admiration of audiences and critics alike across Canada , the United States , Europe and Japan . We are delighted to have Judy here in Australia for the very first time, giving a solo recital and a masterclass.

Mary Macmaster & Donald Hay (UK)
Mary Macmaster is one of the world's leading exponents and innovators on metal strung clarsach and Camac electric harp. Donald Hay is known throughout the traditional music world for his sensitive and imaginative percussion. He is in high demand as a band member and session player working with Eliza Carthy, Kate Rusby, Mystery Juice, Nusa, Sunhoney, Bachue, Unusual Suspects, Kathryn Tickell.
Donald's sensitive drumming was always an illuminating complement to Mary's harp, bringing out different nuances in either electro or wire harp… Here was a brand new, innovative musical landscape that couldn't have been more different… This was a set of many different contrasts, a feast of music from Mary Macmaster's lovely setting of Sorley MacLean's Love and Reason, through the harp's affinity for pipe music and ending with the heart-rending, unforgettable pibroch Lament for the children.
- Pat Napier, Edinburgh International Harp Festival 2007

The duo will headline the opening night concert and Mary will give a masterclass.

Jali Buba Kuyateh (The Gambia)
Born in The Gambia, Jali Buba comes from a griot (hereditary musician) family, where he has played kora since the age of ten. Everyone in his famous Kuyateh family is a musician, including his older brother, Lamin Kuyateh, who is the premier kora player with the Senegalese National Ballet.
A master of traditional kora tunes, Jali Buba has applied his kora to the Afro Manding styles as well as reggae, salsa, jazz and the blues.
Jali Buba Kuyateh has the ability to captivate an audience; he not only plays and sings, but he dances while he plays. He is Senegambia 's best kept secret and he will be performing for us in the opening night concert.

More about Jali Buba Kuyateh

Marshall McGuire
"The Australian harpist Marshall McGuire...is plainly a musician of exceptional imagination and flair, reflected in his choice of music as well as in his superbly assured playing."
- Stephen Pettitt The Times London
Marshall McGuire has commissioned more than 20 new works for harp, and in recognition of this received the 1997 Sounds Australian Award for the Most Distinguished Contribution to the Presentation of Australian Music. He has recorded a number of CDs featuring contemporary music and continues to perform and promote new Australian music. Marshall will share his passion for new music in the Australia Now concert, and a presentation -  When to Say No! Working with Composers .  Composers are always seeking information from harpists about what can and can't be done when writing for harp. While we should always be flattered when approached by a composer, we should also be aware of the boundaries that we set, so that we don't end up with unplayable music - I'd probably have said 'No' to both Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss. Mostly, less is more...

More about Marshall McGuire

Mary Doumany
Mary is one of a new breed of Australian cross genre artists, who incorporate influences from many styles and traditions to create their music. Mary compos es and sings her own material, and h er voice has an intimacy and fluidity that seem effortless. Passionate about exploring and demonstrating the versatility of the harp, Mary says that improvisation is an essential element of her compositions. ‘I love the excitement of improvisation, especially when playing solo. It gives you the freedom to respond to the moment and the audience you're with'. Mary will share this with us in a workshop on Improvisation & Jazz, and in a one-off concert at the intimate Gods Café. This Dinner & Show is not included in the festival pass, places are limited and bookings are essential .

Diana Rowan (Ireland/US)
Born in Ireland , harpist Diana Rowan lived throughout Europe and the Middle East before settling in  Berkeley , California . Diana's classical training intersects with her love for Greek, Eastern European, Sephardic and Middle Eastern music to create a new harp genre.  Currently collaborating with her mentor Bon Singer's Balkan vocal ensemble Ya Elah, vocal virtuosa Lily Storm, Hindustani music master Deepak Ram, and rising early music stars San Francisco Renaissance Voices, Diana can also be heard on several CDs including her debut solo album  Panta Rhei .  Diana's second album,  The Bright Knowledge , will be released this year. 
 

Claire Roche (Ireland)
“As I write, here in Dublin , I have just left the most wonderful talented spellcasting concert I have ever witnessed.”- John Willmott, Celtic Ways
After extensive study of literature, and already a piano player and writer of passionate, intimate and poetic songs, Claire experienced a calling to study playing the harp as a vehicle for sharing her songs. She studied Irish harp with Mairin Ferritear at Sion Hill Convent, Dublin , Concert harp with Catriona Yeats at the College of Music , Dublin , and Denise Kelly of the Royal Academy of Music in Dublin who continues to be her mentor. With permission from the family of W.B. Yeats, Claire combined her passions of literature and harp to create an outstanding work of Yeats poems set to music.

Claire's music is unique and emotionally moving especially in live performance. We are lucky to have Claire all the way from Ireland to perform and workshop her music.

More about Claire Roche

Jacinta Dennett – Toning Up
“Toning Up” is a workshop that explores creative ways to play around with your posture, aiming to help produce a beautiful tone from you and your harp.
Jacinta Dennett draws on her career as a performer and teacher and her rich background in movement, including: the Feldenkrais method, Eurythmy, Alexander technique, Pilates, boxing, Yoga, Martial Arts, competitive swimming and dance.
Bring your harp bench/seat/chair or just come as you are. Benefits will be gained for all participants, non-harpists/harpers, beginners or advanced harpists/harpers. The techniques explored in this workshop can apply directly to your own playing or to your teaching.

Verna Lee Brown

Dr Frances Thiele - ‘I Took My Harp to A Party and Nobody Asked Me to Play!’: Australian Wartime Harpists.
Dr Frances Thiele is a harpist and a professional historian. She trained as a musician with Moira Lawry and Xanya Mamunya, and has a PhD in history from the University of Adelaide. In 2007 the La Trobe Society awarded her their inaugural Fellowship to complete a book about the Port Phillip Aboriginal Protectorate 1839-1849. She has also managed to combine both her passion for harp playing and for history in an exploration of the fascinating story of the harp in Australia.
She will present a paper about Australian harpists in the first half of the twentieth century and hopes to delight you with old photographs and sound recordings from this wonderful period of history when war and the radio dominated everyday life.

Jane Belfrage - Australian Double-Strung Harp
Jane learned to play the harp by composing music on it since 1986. Her musical heartland is the rich heard world music culture of Melbourne and she is strongly rooted in her own Irish musical heritage. Jane has collaborated with many loved Melbourne musicians to produce three albums, 1994-2008, all featured on ABC Radio National's The Daily Planet . A former activist on Indigenous social justice issues, she has worked extensively with children and is a passionate advocate of community music. Jane will share her musical journey in a concert and talk featuring her unique Rigby 75-string harp.
‘Her playing was beautiful, immaculate, distinctive.' Bill Hauritz, Director, Woodford Folk Festival

www.janebelfrage.com

Christine Morphett – Breton Music for the Harp

Irina Reykhtman – The Greek Lyre

Michael Stenning – Playing with Ease
Michael Stenning is a musician who used the Alexander Technique to rehabilitate his playing and resume his playing career after it was interrupted through the effects of tension and stress. He studied trombone at the NSW Conservatorium and the Musik Hochschule, Stuttgart . Michael played in Australia with ensembles as diverse as the Sydney Opera Orchestra, the Seymour Group and the Renaissance Players. In Germany he played with the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, the Ludwigsburg Festival Orchestra, and as a soloist at the Metz New Music Festival.
“Playing with Ease” will introduce the Alexander Technique: a way of optimising performance, improving breathing and staying comfortable. The first half of the session will introduce the basic ideas of the AT, including some practical work with participants. In the second half, three or four players will have the opportunity to masterclass their approach to playing.

More about Michael Stenning and Playing with Ease

Arnan Wiesel – Playing J.S. Bach on the Harp
As more transcriptions of Bach are available for the harp, we pose the question: How do we approach playing his music to use the unique quality of the harp at the service of the music? Looking at editions and recordings the presentation will concentrate on the form of Dance Suite; Salzedo, Grandjany and current editions will be discussed.

Dr Geoffrey Lancaster – How to Handel Mozart

The norms of eighteenth century performance practice are applied to two of the most beloved works in the harp repertoire.

Dr Jolanta Kalandyk-Gallagher – Music Therapy & Children
Jolanta Gallagher will briefly talk about her musical training and different Music Education methods and approaches that contributed to the development of her Early Childhood Music Program. She will make suggestions as to how harp teachers might incorporate some musical activities in teaching small groups of young children. Ample question
time will allow participants to explore various possibilities for their individual teaching needs.

Angela Sciberras – The Healing Harp

The Beginners Guide to Creating Scores in Sibelius: Katie Wardrobe will show you just how easy it is to create compositions and arrangements in Sibelius. We'll look at setting up a score from scratch, different methods of note entry, quick copy and paste methods, playback, and creating your own backing tracks and rehearsal CDs. No previous experience necessary.

Top 20 Sibelius Tips & Tricks: Katie Wardrobe will take you through her top 20 tricks for working efficiently in Sibelius. Suitable for those with some prior knowledge of Sibelius, we'll look at quick copy and paste methods, speedier note-entry, using plug-ins and filters, producing parts, formatting scores and creating backing tracks and rehearsal CDs.

Sally Greenaway – A Harpists' Guide to Reading Jazz Charts
Ever wanted to play Jazz Harp? Come and explore the rich world of lush chords and the grooving rhythms of jazz! A 'how-to' guide on how to read a jazz chart and learn about the language of jazz. This is a great class to do together with Mary Doumany's 'Jazz Improvisation' workshop later in the program. Bring your harp, manuscript and sense of adventure!