Australian and International Links
The following contacts are provided for the Australian musician who may be wishing to find out more about the chromatic harp on the international stage. If you are interested in contacting Australian makers of the instrument, please go to Gallery, where you can view their instruments as well as get their contact details. If you are wishing to contact Australian chromatic harpists, please go to Biographies for individual addresses
AUSTRALIA
Making your dreams a reality
Harps on Harps are well known for their craftsmanship and the warm resonate sound of their harps. Brandden especially likes to build custom harps using high quality hardware and furniture/musical grade wood.
Belgium
Hannalore Devaere is both a well-known harpist, playing early and contemporary music and a scholar, having written, as a doctoral dissertation, the “Bible” of the chromatic harp- a total guide to the history, playing, building, repertoire and literature of the cross-strung harp in all of its incarnations. Sections of this thesis have been translated from the French by Canadian luthier Phillipe Clemente.
Vanessa Gerkins was a student of the doyenne of chromatic harpists Odile Tackoen, and runs an academy for teaching the chromatic harp specifically. She is extremely active in popularizing the instrument in Europe, with frequent concerts and commissions of contemporary work.
Throughout the entire twentieth century, this institution provided classes for the chromatic harp. The library, if you can access it, is a repository of works for the harp.
Canada
One of the finest luthiers in the business. His highly organized site is valuable for the register of cross-strung players it provides, as well as other general information.
NEW ZEALAND
German born Astrid Nielsch is a world-known harpist and musicologist, whose association with Andrew Lawrence-King produced the painstaking transcriptions and instrumental recreations of the Spanish tablatures, and helped usher in a world-wide resurrection of the cross-strung harp.
UNITED KINGDOM
Andrew Lawrence-King is an English harpist, continuo player and scholar who has done more to popularize the chromatic harp and its repertoire than any other harpist in the world, with his transcriptions of the Spanish tablature and his recordings and world tours with the acclaimed Harp Consort.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Harper Tasche has been responsible for creating a renewal of the instrument throughout America. He is an inexhaustible performer/composer/author and teacher who works mainly in the field of folk music and has developed and published a method for the small folk harp.
Verlene Schermer is a harpist working and recording in the jazz field. She is also a composer establishing new sonorities and textures in jazz and is skillful enough to sing at the instrument as well. She uses both chromatic and diatonic harps.
Gary Stone has been one of America’s foremost harp-builders for many years, pioneering new designs for the cross-strung harp. A great source of information and advice.
A very informative and well illustrated site covering all types of historical harps.