Pamela Bruner has been playing the Celtic harp for 20 years, and has released 19 albums. Originally Pamela took up the harp as an accompaniment for her rich singing voice, and she is now known as a gentle and encouraging teacher and motivational speaker. Her workshop 'Creating Music with Love, not Fear' has been called "Life Changing". In addition to playing the harp, Pamela is a Success Coach, Certified EFT Practitioner, and the author of the acclaimed book and DVD series "Play the Harp Beautifully - a Self-Teaching Series."

www.pamelabrunermusic.com

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Cynthia is an expert on the Clàrsach, the wire-strung harp of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and of Ireland. Performing and teaching internationally, she is a leader in the revival of the wire-strung harp. Based near Washington, DC, Cynthia is a recording artist, the author of several books for the wire-strung harp, a regular columnist for the Folk Harp Journal, and has made several educational videos, many of which are available online. She holds a number of prestigious awards, including two-time U.S. National Scottish Harp Master Champion, and three-time winner of the Clan Lamont Trophy (in Virginia, Texas and Ohio).

www.cynthiacathcart.net

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Marta Cook is a multifaceted artist and one of the world's finest Irish harpers, touring extensively throughout Europe and North America. Her music was nurtured by the vibrant Irish community in Chicago and by famed Cork harper Màire NÌ Chathasaigh. In 2001 she won first prize at the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil. The extraordinary number of American prizewinners there in recent years is almost exclusively attributable to her teaching. In 2008 she recorded for Sony Classical with Yo-Yo Ma and Natalie Macmaster. She is currently at work on her debut album.

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Patrice Fisher has a degree in Music Composition from Tulane University. She has been Director of New Orleans Celtic Harp Ensemble since 2001 and leader of Latin Jazz group, Arpa, since 1980. She grew up in New Orleans, known for its great jazz musicians. She has been exposed to improvisation all her life. Improvisation is a natural extension of the music we know. It is a different way of adding our own personal interpretation and expression, just like dynamics, phrasing or articulation. Sometimes, when we let go of the analytical part of our brain, original musical ideas will spontaneously flow.

www.patricefisher.com and www.myspace.com/patricefisher

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Seumas Gagnè has been playing the music of the Highland and Irish Gaels on the Celtic harp for more than a quarter century. A fluent speaker of Scottish Gaelic, he competed in the Royal Scottish National MÚd in 1997 where he won the Elspeth Hyllestad Trophy for solo clàrsach. Seumas founded the band Wicked Celts, and recorded one CD with them. Seumas helped found Slighe nan Gaidheal, Washingtonís Gaelic language and cultural society in 1997 and serves on its Board. In 2001, he returned to the MÚd in Scotland with four friends and won the first-ever waulking song competition. Christine Traxler, a long-time friend and former bandmate joins Seumas this afternoon on fiddle.

www.seumasgagne.com/index.php

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Martha's recent explorations of the innovative MIDI harp have led to her presenting clinics at such prestigious places as Berklee College of Music, The Boston Conservatory, The Big Sky Harp Festival, The Somerset Harp Festival and the AHS National Conference. Several of her articles have been published in both the Folk Harp Journal and the American Harp Journal. Her love of traditional Celtic music has been highlighted in performance with six-time Grammy winners, The Chieftains. Martha and her original music, which includes gutsy blues, spunky jazz, world-inspired and unique song interpretations, have been featured on Public Radio, Public Television and the BBC.

www.adkharper.com

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HEN is a duo of two Celtic harpers, Sue Richards and Sharon Knowles. They perform Scottish, Irish and Scandinavian traditional music on small 34 string harps, trading off playing in unison and exciting harmonies. Sharon and Sue have toured in Scotland, appearing at The Edinburgh International Harp Festival and Celtic Connections. They also do the occasional concert in the Washington D.C. area and tour other parts of the United States during the summer. Why Hen? It is a casual term of affection used frequently by women in many parts of Scotland and used by Sharon's Grandmother!

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Beth Kollè is one of the leading proponents of Nordic traditional music for the lever harp. Her acclaimed books and recordings and her two HARPA concert tours to Norway and Sweden have piqued interest in Nordic music in the harp community world-wide. As a well-known performer and presenter, Beth brings her infectious enthusiasm and first-hand knowledge of Scandinavian music, language and culture to the listener and invites them to explore a musical landscape that may be new to them.

www.bethkolle.com

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RoJean Loucks is a lifelong musician whose midlife discovery of the folk harp launched a whole new career path for her. A Certified Music Practitioner through MHTP, RoJean plays for hospice patients, teaches beginners on the harp, composes and arranges music for harp, conducts retreat sessions, and performs for weddings, festivals, memorial services, and other community events. Singing in her church choir, facilitating a community grief support group, and spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren bring fulfillment to her life.

www.roharps.com and www.musicforharp.com

Joanna Mell received her classical musical training in piano and voice. She was introduced to the Celtic harp after she saw Alain Stivell in concert in 1985; she studied the concert harp privately with Alison Simpson for seven years. Joanna's passion for Celtic music, combined with her deep love of the Lord, has inspired her unique style for 25 years. In 1989, Joanna brought her harp into a friend's hospital room and discovered the healing power of music. Since then, she has been playing therapeutic music for those suffering in mind, body and spirit.

www.joannamell.com

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John is a multi-instrumentalist who was a public school music teacher for 31 years in Northern California and is certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. In 2004 he won 1st place in the prestigious Lyon & Healy International Jazz and Pop Harpfest in the nonpedal harp division, playing his set on the cross-strung harp. John has been a major promoter of the cross-strung harp and has performed and taught at numerous conferences and festivals including the 2007 and 2009 Big Sky Harp Festival, the 2006 and 2008 Somerset harp festivals and the 2006 AHS National Conference.

www.metrasoundmusic.com

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Soloist of the Paraguayan harp, composer, author, educator and Gold Record winner recording artist, Cuban born Alfredo Rolando Ortiz considers his "most important concert" playing the harp in the delivery room during the birth of his second daughter. His compositions have been performed and recorded by classical and folk harpists in many countries and are required study at conservatories and by harp teachers around the world. A medical doctor with background in Music Therapy and Sensory-Motor Training, he has taught his unique method and techniques to hundreds of pedal and lever harp teachers, professionals and students of all levels.

www.alfredo-rolando-ortiz.com

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Kim Robertson is a renowned performer and instructor who has stretched the boundaries of the harp for a new generation of performers. As a pioneer in the American folk harp movement, she combines an improvisational spirit with a passionate sense of tradition, bringing a contemporary touch to a centuries' old instrument. Born in Wisconsin, she is classically trained on piano and orchestral harp. In the mid-70's, Kim's discovery of the Celtic harp grew into a profound love for the instrument, setting her upon the path of exploration for which she is now widely known. Her work encompasses over 20 recordings and publications, and an international itinerary of concerts and workshops.

www.kimrobertson.net

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When world-renown harpist Emily Mitchell moved from New York City to Cypress, TX, in 2008, it seemed only natural to form a folk harp trio with Mary Radspinner and Therese Honey. Mary is the co-owner of Melody's Harp Store which is located in Cypress near Emily's home. Therese Honey of renaissance and early harp notoriety also frequents the Cypress area on her way to rehearsals in Austin, for occasional shopping excursions at the Cypress Outlet Mall, and of course to stop by Melody's to buy harp strings. Thus was born Seamair (pronounced shah-mare, an Irish, three-leafed clover.)

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Christina, author of the respected and comprehensive book, Harp Therapy Manual - a Cradle of Sound, is a second generation harpist, who began playing harp at the age of four. She received Music and Education degrees from the University of Vermont and also studied harp at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and McGill University in Montreal, and music therapy at Arizona State University. As a recording artist with 15 recordings distributed internationally, she has performed extensively. She is founder and director of the International Harp Therapy Program, founded in 1994 which has now expanded to the U.K. Canada, Europe, Australia and Asia.

www.emeraldharp.com

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Combining a love for music and entertaining, Louise Trotter is a versatile performer and teacher. Her programs contain a mix of classical, Broadway, swing, rag, Latin and country western. Having studied music since the age of 6, she gave a piano and harp concert at seventeen, later played with symphonies and choral groups in addition to solo concerts. She was awarded the 2003 ISFHC Lifetime Achievement Award for promotion of the lever harp. She has been a featured harpist at Edinburgh Harp Festival, Lyon & Healy Pop and Jazz Festival, ISFHC, Somerset and Big Sky Folk Harp Festivals.

www.louisetrotter.com

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Sharlene Wallace is one of Canada's most prolific and influential lever harpists and winner of two international lever harp competitions. She has created five CDs which include many of her original compositions. Sharlene has also been involved in commissions for the lever harp by numerous Canadian composers. She tours internationally giving concerts, workshops, masterclasses and adjudicating while being on the faculties of York and Guelph Universities teaching lever and pedal harp. Her own performance degree is from the University of Toronto where she studied with harpist Judy Loman. Sharlene is principal harpist with the Oakville and Kingston Symphonies.

www.sharlenewallace.com

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Laura Zaerr teaches harp and Celtic Ensemble at the University of Oregon. She holds a masterís degree in harp performance from the Eastman School of Music. Over the past 20 years Laura has produced several solo CDs featuring original compositions and arrangements of Celtic tunes as well as recording collaboratively with various musical groups. 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.

www.laurazaerr.com