To The Kansas City Musical Club, the Lyra Chapter, American Harp Society, Harpists, and Friends of Harp:
We were pleased to join together to co-sponsor the first harp awards for local harpists. Applicants were required to be age 17 through 24 years of age and to be studying harp at the college level.
We were delighted with the quality and proficiency of the five harpists who registered for the January 5 harp competition and are only sorry that four had to drop out. The flu had a treacherous effect on our young harpist population.
Erin Hansen played the Salzedo edition of Handel’s “B Flat Concerto,” 1st Movement. She chose Zabel’s “Marguerite at the Spinning Wheel” for her 2nd selection. Erin gave a strong, highly respected performance and won the first prize award of $1000. Erin is from Atchison, Kansas, and a freshman at Bob Jones University. She is the winner of two previous national harp competitions. Her first teacher was Wilma Liles of Lenexa, Kansas. Erin then studied under Sr. Joachim Holthaus at Mt. St. Scholastica, Atchison, Kansas and Erin Wood of Lawrence, Kansas. She presently studies with Emily Waggonner at Bob Jones University.
Our thanks to area harp teachers who encouraged their students to prepare and register to participate: Dr. Deborah Clark, Sr. Joachim Holthaus, Wesley Kelly, Jim Palmer, Tabitha Reist-Steiner, Maria Duhova Trevor, and Erin Wood. Also our thanks and appreciation go to expert judges Aimee DeSotel and Richard Bateman who used American Harp Society competition guidelines for grading and feedback and to our indispensable volunteers, Eileen Chase and Julie Peterson.
An attentive and warmly receptive audience of about thirty stayed to enjoy tea, cookies, and conversation with Erin, her family, and with each other.
Competition Committee: Jennifer Liebnitz, Dr. Joan Ferguson, and Ruth Laughlin
*Please note that, also because of the flu, our Auditions and Evaluations (A&E) are rescheduled for Saturday, March 9. These A&E’s are strictly non-competitive and are a fun learning experience for persons of every level of folk or pedal harp.
Enroll with Jennifer Liebnitz, 816-444-4581.
