Calling all harp enthusiasts!
Join us for the 39th annual Harp School in picturesque Wells, British Columbia. Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of harps amidst the backdrop of the Cariboo Mountains.
This 5-day workshop offers expert instruction for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced players. Enjoy morning classes, afternoon workshops, and intimate concerts featuring renowned harpists from around the globe.
Don't miss this opportunity to refine your technique, explore new repertoire, and be inspired by the harmonious blend of music and nature. Reserve your spot now for an unforgettable musical journey in the heart of BC's gold rush country!
Dates: August 11 - 15th, 2025
Cost:
Early Bird - $449 + Taxes and Fees - To Jan 31st, 2025
Regular - $529 + Taxes and Fees
Registration closes July 1st, 2025. Payment Plans are available!
Meet your instructors below!
Ailie Robertson | InterMediate Harp
About Ailie’s Class: Ailie will be teaching a selection of her favourite Scottish Slow Airs and Dance Tunes. We will explore Scotland's rich music traditions from all around the country, and we will be looking at understanding the different tune forms, phrasing, rhythm, ornamentation and accompaniment. We will delve into older material from Scotland's past, as well as more modern tunes to build your repertoire. On the technical side, Ailie will also show you some useful exercises and give you some tips and tricks that will put you on the right path to building liveliness, speed and joyful rhythm in your playing.
About the Instructor: Ailie Robertson is a musician in the broadest sense: composer, arranger, teacher, improviser and performer. Awarded Live Ireland’s ‘Female Musician of the Year’, her synthesis of Scottish, Irish and contemporary harping technique into an individual style represents the realization of “otherwise unimagined possibilities for the Celtic harp.” A multi-award-winner, she has performed all around the globe, and is recognised for her unique fusion of traditional and contemporary styles. She has published 8 volumes of harp music which are used by students around the world, and has taught at harp festivals in Europe, Canada, the USA, Asia and Australia.
Sharlene Wallace | Advanced Harp
Photo of Sharlene Wallace by Stuart Lowe
“It’s not about the harp”, says award winning Canadian harp player Sharlene Wallace. “It’s about texture, layers, pushing the envelope of spaciousness into the momentum of rhythmic and arrhythmic movement… but mostly it’s about instinct and freedom.” Sharlene is a lever and pedal harp player, composer, educator and visual explorer, all through which she expresses her relationship to space, the natural world and intuition.
Winner of the Lyon & Healy International Pop & Jazz Lever Harp Competition (USA) and the Dinan Concours d'Improvisation de Rencontres International de Harp Celtique (Brittany), Sharlene has given concerts and workshops across Canada, the United States, and Europe. Sharlene is an influential figure in the lever harp world for her performances, recordings, teaching and for her use of this instrument in contemporary and original music. Commissions have been written for Sharlene including Rodney Sharman’s "Music for Lever Harp, Strings and Percussion" and Alfredo Rolando Ortiz’s "Niagara Moon". Sharlene’s own compositions are featured throughout her nine independent albums. In 2024 Sharlene released "Lilac Embers”, an album of Shar-compositions for acoustic and electric lever harps with electronics by Jean Martin, and "Trees.Listen", a co-composition recording-performance-environmental project with composer Frank Horvat for Celtic harp and fixed electronics.
Shoshanna Godber | YOUTH HARP
AGES 12-17, or with permission from the instructor
About Shoshanna’s Class: Explore the fun and creative side of harp playing in this dynamic summer course! Designed for young harpists, this program dives into improvisation, composition, and the joy of jamming with fellow musicians. It’s the perfect opportunity to experiment, express your creativity, and try things you might not have time for during the busy school year. Whether you’re crafting your own melodies or collaborating in a group, this class will inspire you to expand your skills and discover new ways to connect with your harp.
About the Instructor: Shoshanna Godber is a Canadian harpist, singer, pianist and banjo player. She started playing the harp while completing her Bachelor of Music at the University of British Columbia, and it quickly eclipsed all of her other musical interests. Her repertoire spans Celtic music, traditional folk from around the world, classical works, and her own contemporary compositions. She is a diverse performer and enjoys giving concerts of traditional and contemporary music with her guitarist (and husband) Dave Godber. She also performs regularly with her colleagues for the Prince George Conservatory of Music’s chamber concert series.
Shoshanna has recorded three albums of children’s folk music and has contributed to other artist’s projects as a session musician. She is also an arranger and composer, steadily growing her published catalogue of sheet music for harp/voice, harp ensemble, and solo harp.
Since 2012 Shoshanna has taught harp and directed a harp ensemble at the PG Conservatory of Music and loves empowering her students to achieve their harp dreams. She has served as the Conservatory’s Artistic Director since 2021, combining her passion for music with her dedication to fostering community engagement through the arts.
www.shoshannagodber.com