Program Details

The goal of Five Contemporary Studies for the Intermediate Harpist was to create new repertoire that allowed for meaningful interaction with contemporary concepts and idioms. In this set of five miniatures, both young harpists and their teachers will find accessible approaches to various techniques not regularly found in harp repertoire. These include: chords outside of traditional diatonic harmony, irregular time signatures, polyrhythms, mixed meters, and others.

Though there is no distinct programmatic narrative in this set, I gave each one their own distinct emotional setting. The various idioms highlighted throughout the set where selected specifically based on how they helped to serve that emotional character. By organizing them this way, it should show the value and place that these idioms and ideas hold in music. As well as the need to make them understandable to the next generation of musicians.