Charlotte Trinh is a ninth-grade harpist studying under Linda Wood Rollo, with prior training from Dominique Piana. She is a prize winner in numerous competitions, including the Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Competition, the Etude Club Young Musician Competition, the Enkor International String Competition, the CalASTA Competition, and the Livermore-Amador Concerto Competition, and was named a finalist in the American Harp Society National Competition. Charlotte has performed the Dittersdorf Harp Concerto with the Sycamore Strings Chamber Orchestra and has played in the Junior Bach Festival multiple times, as well as presenting her own solo recital in 2025. This June, Charlotte will perform Ravel's Introduction and Allegro with the Livermore-Amador Symphony. This summer, she is grateful to be able to attend the Young Artist Harp Seminar as a recipient of the Siochi Scholarship.

Charlotte first heard Fantasie on Themes from Eugene Onegin on a livestream of the Stars of Tomorrow concert during the 13th USA International Harp Competition. She was entranced by the mystical opening and immediately wanted to play it. This piece is a reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin, composed by Ekaterina Walter-Kühne. Kühne was the principal harpist at the Mariinsky Theater, always immersed in Tchaikovsky’s music from the orchestra pit. Her piece features melodies from the opera while showcasing the full expressive range of the harp. 

First off, I am very excited to be playing my two songs, Moonlight and Midnight Stars in front of a big audience. I have been playing the harp for one and a half years now, and I love playing it. I feel very happy when I play it and I just love to sit there and play and think that I am making wonderful music. I first decided to play the harp when I met a professional harpist and she played for me in a campsite under the stars. I loved it so much just sitting there listening to the amazing music. I chose these pieces because one of them is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever played, and the other one is a very recent one that I have learned and is a little bit challenging. But even though it's kind of tricky, I have my amazing harp teacher, Lynn Taffin, who helped me with learning both pieces. 

I’m 10 years old, and I’ve been playing the harp for almost three years. I love the beautiful look and tone of the harp, and I feel that playing the harp makes me unique! 

My big goal is to one day sing and play at the same time effortlessly. Today, I’m playing two pieces by Skaila Kanga from her Minstrel’s Gallery collection. Skaila is a legend who has played on over 1,000 movie soundtracks, like Harry Potter! Interestingly, she actually started as a singer before she ever picked up the harp, for the first time, at the age of 17! 

It feels like "full circle” for me to play her music while I work toward my own dream of becoming a singing harpist!

I have been playing the harp for one year under my favorite teacher, Ms. Janice Ortega. I started because I loved hearing my sisters play, and I finally got to make my own beautiful tones on this big, fabulous instrument!

I love Beauty and the Beast / Alan Menken, this Disney song because the melody is so beautiful and romantic. It makes me want to sing along, or even dance along! It was a big challenge to coordinate my right and left hands to keep the rhythm steady, but I did my best to make it sound like a fairy tale. I hope you enjoy this magical music.

Etude in 2/4 / by Deborah Friou is a fun piece that has many different expressions, even though it is mostly made of chords. I have been practicing hard to move my fingers quickly and smoothly so the music flows without any gaps.

Nine months ago, I started learning to play the harp, inspired by a harpist that I heard play at a hotel. I like to play the harp because it is fun. I also like it because it sounds nice.

I like the song Danny Boy because it is very calm, and it sounds beautiful. I played it for my school talent show.

I like Little Waltz because it is very upbeat and cheerful.

My name is Emmy. I play the harp because my sister (Ada) plays the harp. I chose these pieces because I am working on playing them better. When I work on these pieces, I feel I am improving on the harp.

Do you like hamburgers or even In-N-Out? Well... Little Prelude is really like that. It has an ABA structure, like a burger with a bun, the middle and another bun.

I am 10 years old, and I have been playing the harp for one and a half years. I enjoy playing the harp because the melodic sounds of the harp are so beautiful. My first piece is Butterflies by Phyllis Scholmovitz. The way the notes are played in this piece sound like the fluttering of the wings of a butterfly. Phyllis Scholmovitz was the principal harpist for the Milwaukee Symphony for 15 years, and in 1969, she moved to Palo Alto to pursue a solo concert career. She performed with the Chamber Orchestras of San Francisco and Chicago and even appeared at Carnegie Hall and at Lincoln Center in New York City. She traveled all over the world on concert tours to places like Austria, Denmark, Japan, Australia and Israel. She was also the head of the harp department at the University of California, Santa Cruz and played at restaurateur John Dickey’s famous Dinah’s Shack for twenty years. She was a published author of books on playing the harp and ran the largest private harp studio in Northern CA. Scholmovitz died in 2003 at the age of 86. My second piece is Petite Berceuse by Alphonse Hasselmans. The title means “little lullaby,” and the melody is calming and would soothe a crying baby. Alphonse Hasselmans was a Belgian-born French harpist, composer, and influential professor at the Paris Conservatoire from 1884 until his death in 1912. He began studying the harp under his father, who was also a harpist, and achieved fame after a series of impressive solo concerts in Paris in 1877. He transcribed pieces originally written for other instruments from the works of notable composers, such as Chopin, Mendelssohn, and Fauré. Hasselmans also composed over fifty pieces for the harp. As the preeminent harp teacher of the late early 20th century who held the highest standards for proper harp technique, he shaped the French harp method. 

I started playing the harp when I was nine, after hearing its beautiful music while watching youtube videos.  I fell in love with the sound of it.  I was happy to find Carol Holsinger, my teacher, who helped me choose the right pieces that helped me learn more.  I wanted to work harder to play more complex pieces and become a better harpist.

I love playing the harp because I can make my own combinations of songs and add my own emotions and make it lively.

I chose to play the piece Water is Wide because it is a classic song with a beautiful sound with the roll chord in the beginning that makes it stand out, and it has lots of emotions.  I also chose Barn Dance Memory because I thought it was a lively, beautiful, elegant piece and it has a cheerful springtime feeling and I can add a lot of emotion to it to make it sound cheerful and good.  I feel very connected to the harp and feel I can make my own pieces and express my emotions.  This is why I love playing the harp.

My name is Ada. I will be playing selections from La Gimblette, a piece with a theme and 13 variations. I chose the harp as my second instrument (I also play the piano) because I thought it sounded quite nice, and it is also able to create a variety of different types of music, from classical to pop, if the player is good enough. I chose this piece because my teacher recommended it, but now I like it because I feel I am really able to convey the emotions connected to each variation. The composer, Bernard Andrès, won a First Prize for harp at the conservatories of Besançon, Strasbourg, and Paris, a music teaching certificate, and an "Aptitude Certificate". He has written numerous works for harp, choir, orchestra, and chamber ensembles.

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I started playing the harp when I was four, inspired by a jazz harpist I met. This is my fifth year with my fabulous teacher, Ms. Janice Ortega. These two pieces are especially meaningful to me because they are the first songs I am performing on the pedal harp since switching from the lever harp a few months ago. I am practicing very hard to master the new pedal movements!

My name is Ellie, I am eight years old, and I began learning the harp about ten months ago. Recently, I started studying the pedal harp and have been exploring how the pedals can change the color and harmony of the music. 

When I was very little, I began speaking later than most children, which made my family a little worried. Looking back, I feel that this may have helped me become more sensitive to sound. I often find that I can remember music quickly, and I enjoy learning new pieces by listening and feeling the music.

I still remember the first time I saw and heard a harp. My parents took me to a friend’s house, where a girl was playing a small harp. I stopped what I was doing and listened. The beautiful sound of the harp, together with her graceful presence, left a deep impression on me. Even though it was not a large instrument, I was captivated by its magical and unique tone. From that moment, I knew I wanted to learn the harp.

Hi, my name is Jane, and I am 8 years old. I love playing the harp because it sounds beautiful, like Christmas bells ringing. When I play in front of my family, I feel warm, brave, and loved.

I chose the piece Ballade because it is very dramatic and full of emotion. I also chose Dragonfly in the Sunshine because it is lively and reminds me of my playful childhood.

I love music because I can feel the composer’s emotions in each piece, and every piece is unique and special to me.

Thank you for listening!

Emeline Halsted lives in Manton, California near Mt. Lassen on her family’s farm. She has been homeschooled her whole life, and will be graduating high school a year early this May. She plans to earn an English degree with a minor in art. She has been taking harp lessons with Dominique Piana for almost four years. She has also taken piano and classical guitar lessons for several years. Her hobbies consist of traditional and digital artwork, creative writing, and caring for her poultry and horse.

I started learning piano when I was 4 and a half years old. When I was 6, I wanted to learn to play another instrument. I listened to many different instruments. Even though my parents suggested the violin or the cello, I refused because I found the sound of the violin too high-pitched for my ears and cello sounded too low-pitched (I no longer feel that way about violin or cello). I loved the sound of the harp and decided to learn the harp. Not knowing where to start with my request to learn to play the harp, my mother reached out to Doug Rioth, who was the Principal Harpist for the San Francisco Symphony. He was very nice to introduce us to Lynn Taffin, who has been my teacher since.

My training in piano helped me get a head start on the harp. I have enjoyed playing pieces by Bernard Andres ( Ribambelles, Aquatines, Epices), Salzedo, and Dussek. And now I am starting to learn pieces that have more complexity. My new pieces challenge me, and I am enjoying that challenge. Now, I am learning more complicated pieces by Zabel (Marguerite at the spinning wheel) and by CPE Bach (Solfegietto).

Sofia began her harp journey about four years ago and has since demonstrated remarkable dedication and steady artistic growth. She was awarded 2nd place in the USIMC 2023 competition and 3rd place in USIMC 2024. Sofia has also participated in the SVCAHS Student Educational Series (SES), making this her fourth year in the program.

For this year's SES program, Sofia will perform Muscade by Bernard Andrés and Sonatina I by J. L. Dussek, edited by Susan McDonald and Linda Wood Rollo. Both works have captivated her imagination with their distinctive tonal colors, rhythmic vitality, and unexpected musical turns.

Sonatina I strikes Sofia as bright and joyful, like a carefree melody filled with lightness and ease. In contrast, Muscade evokes the image of a lively celebration, where music and movement blend as people dance freely, momentarily setting aside their worries. Through these pieces, Sofia hopes to share that same spirit of joy and energy with her audience.

Elizabeth O’Shea is currently a sophomore at Sacred Heart Cathedral. She has been playing the harp for eight years and studies with Lynn Taffin. Today she will be playing Sarabande by Handel and Le Désiré By Godeforid. Handel was a key 18th century composer from Germany. This piece, Sarabande, was originally written for the harpsichord. Felix Godefroid was a Belgian harpist and composer during the 19th century. He was known as the "Paganini of the harp". 

Harpist Aaditya Amin, a 13-year-old currently in eighth grade in Dublin, California, began his journey with the harp at age six with Dominique Piana. Aaditya has been a regular participant in the annual Music Education Auditions and Evaluations organized by the Silicon Valley Chapter of the American Harp Society since 2022. He has also competed in the Yvonne LaMothe Schwager Harp Competition of the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter. In 2021 he earned the Silver Prize and the Special Music Works Prize at the Preliminary Level (age 9), and in 2023, he won the Silver Prize in Level 1 (age 12 or less) along with the Harpiana Prize. This March, he performed for the juried, Bay Area-wide Junior Bach Festival. Aaditya plays the baritone saxophone in both his school’s jazz band and marching band. He is an active member of his school’s archery team and enjoys swimming during his leisure time. 

Brielle Tan is a ninth grader who has been studying harp with Ms. Sonya Yu for nearly three years. 

Gabriel Pierne (1863-1937) was a distinguished pianist, organist, composer, and conductor of the late Romantic era. He composed a range of works, including operas, ballets, chamber music, as well as choral and orchestral works. Often described as melodic and light, Pierne’s pieces were heavily inspired by Claude Debussy. For compositions on the harp, Pierne experimented with newer styles and the use of harmonics, glissandos, and arpeggios. 

Impromptu-Caprice, one of Pierne’s most notable works for harp, is a captivating solo piece characterized by broad dynamics, arpeggios, and glissandos. The piece begins with a series of arpeggios and tremolos, followed by the main melody. Then the piece transitions into the main theme, a lively, fast-paced series of chords. A variation of the main melody returns, and the piece ends in a dramatic sweeping run of arpeggios, octaves, and glissandos.

My name is Danju Kuo, and I am a senior at Piedmont Hills High School. I began learning the harp since fourth grade. Over time, I have grown to enjoy expressing emotion and storytelling through music, especially through pieces that feel vivid and imaginative.

For this recital, I chose La Source, a piece associated with the harp tradition through composers like Zabel and later harpists such as Hasselmans, who helped shape modern harp repertoire. The title La Source, meaning “The Spring,” reflects the flowing and continuous motion of water, which is captured through rippling arpeggios and delicate phrasing.

Jiarui Wei, a high school junior, has been playing harp for 6 years and is a member of the Silicon Valley Youth Harp Ensemble (YES).

Jazz-Band Op. 33 was composed by French harpist and composer Marcel Tournier in the 1920s. The 1920s were most famous for being the Jazz Age, during which jazz, a form of music that originated from New Orleans in the late 19th Century, gained widespread popularity around the world, including notably in the cultural capitals of Europe, such as Paris. Tournier's Jazz-band is an example of jazz's rise into prominence, and Tournier himself was noted to have favoured incorporating jazz styles in his compositions of the time.