2024 Heart of the Valley Harp Retreat

Julia Kay Jamieson is an energetic performer, dedicated teacher, innovative composer and award-winning harpist. Julia has been a featured concert artist, clinician and composer for events including the Canadian International Summer Harp Institute, the Festival de Cuerdas in Puerto Rico, and the annual Harp Day in Eugene, Oregon. She has been commissioned to write several harp ensemble pieces including Sea for the Illinois Summer Harp Class and Creatures for the High Cascade Harp Retreat. An advocate for new music, she is chair of the American Harp Society Young Composers Project and is the principal harpist of the Cleveland Chamber Symphony.  She is the author of The Young at Harp, a method book for beginning harpists and has given improvisation, arranging, and creative teaching workshops throughout the US and Canada. Julia studied with Jocelyn Chang (Cleveland, OH), Susann McDonald (Indiana University) and Ann Yeung (University of Illinois).  Check out Julia’s website at https://www.juliakayjamieson.com.

Laura Zaerr continues to pursue her interest in Celtic music and jazz alongside her classical music.  She has taught both pedal harp and Celtic harp at the University of Oregon for 18 years. Over the past 25 years Laura has produced several solo CDs featuring original compositions and arrangements of Celtic tunes as well as recording collaboratively with various musical groups including The Oregon Renaissance Band, Village Green, Chuva Boa (Latin jazz), and Trilogy.  She is currently a member of a cross over band Compass Rose. She has gained national recognition for her Celtic Concerto, a suite for Celtic harp with orchestra featuring seven traditional Irish tunes.  Her original and innovative harp arrangements meld together a rich heritage of classical technique with the buoyancy and charm of Celtic styling.  Laura also enjoys singing with Kitchen Ceilidh, an a-capella women’s Gaelic singing group based in Eugene.  Laura plays her harp for Hospice in the Corvallis area and maintains a private teaching studio.

Julia and Laura are co-conspirators of the American Harp Society Young Composer’s Project which encourages young harpists to step out into the world of radical creativity.  They have collaborated on several workshop events include Harp Day at the University of Oregon and the Cascades Harp Retreat.  Together Laura and Julia create an atmosphere where ideas can grow and flourish.   Julia and Laura are each writing a harp duo on the theme of “Out of this World” to premier at the Sunday afternoon concert.   You can come for Friday through Sunday or just for the Saturday workshops if you would like.  We are also pleased to offer a movement class by cellist and Zumba teacher Sabine Monn.  You can check out her site at https://www.missswissbliss.com.   She will also join us for one of the improvisation workshops.  We will have some time for harp ensemble playing.  (Music provided ahead of time)    We will also explore ways to arrange a Celtic tune or two.  Sharon and Dave Thormahlen are offering a tour of their legendary harp building studio.  If you don’t already know about Corvallis Oregon’s harp building treasure check out Thormahlen harps at https://www.thorharp.com. 

Heart of Valley harp retreat 2024 registration form