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2024 Public Events (latest first)

Indiana University Harp Ensemble Christmas Concert

 Elzbieta Szmyt - Director/Conductor

Oaks Christian Church

Wednesday, December 11th - 6:00 pm

Indiana University Symphony Orchestra

David Dzubay - Conductor

Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music

Tuesday, November 19th  - 8:00 pm

Junior Recital

Ford-Crawford Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Saturday, November 9th - 1:00-2:00 pm

Indiana University Harp Studio Recital

Elzbieta Szmyt - Director/Conductor

 Auer Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Sunday, November 3rd - 8:00-10:00 pm

Indiana University Philharmonic Orchestra

Arhur Fagen - Conductor

Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music

Saturday, October 5th  - 8:00 pm

Mother's Day Tea at the Tennessean Hotel

A beautiful way to celebrate mom

Saturday, May 11th - 11:00 am

Indiana University Chamber Orchestra

Auer Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music

Wednesday, February 28th  - 8:00 pm

Indiana University Concert Orchestra

Thomas Wilkins, Conductor

Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music

Wednesday, January 24th  - 8:00 pm

Fall/Winter 2023 Public Events

Holiday Tea at the Tennessean Hotel

It's a lovely tradition that you truly don't want to miss!

Saturday, December 16th - 1:00 pm

Amy Carty and Friends

Recital Series of Kingston

Bethel Presbyterian Church

203 S. Kentucky Street

Kingston, TN

Friday, December 15th at noon

Indiana University Chamber Orchestra

Alexander Kerr, Leader

Auer Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music

Wednesday, November 8th  - 8:00 pm

Student Recital

Ford-Crawford Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Sunday, October 29th - 5:00-6:00 pm

Indiana University Harp Ensemble Concert

Elzbieta Szmyt - Director/Conductor

 St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church, Columbus, IN

Friday, October 13th - 7:00 pm

Indiana University Orchestra

Barbara Yahr, Guest Conductor

Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music

Wednesday, September 27th - 8:00 pm

Indiana University Harp Studio Recital

Elzbieta Szmyt - Director/Conductor

 Ford-Crawford Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Saturday, September 21st - 8:30-10:30 pm

Indiana University Symphony Orchestra

Jeffrey Meyer - Conductor

Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music

Wednesday, September 13th - 8:00 pm

Winter/Spring 2023 Public Events

Mother's Day Tea at the Tennessean Hotel

A beautiful way to celebrate mom

Saturday, May 13th - 12:00 and 2:00 pm

Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble Concert

Stephen Pratt - Conductor

 Bloomington High School South

Wednesday, May 3rd  - 7:00 pm

Indiana University Spring Showcase

With IU Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Big Red Basketball Band Wind Ensemble:  Rodney Dorsey - Director/Conductor

 Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Tuesday, April 18th  - 8:00 - 10:00 pm

Indiana University Harp Ensemble Concert

Elzbieta Szmyt - Director/Conductor

 800 N Bell Trace Dr, Bloomington 

Saturday, April 15th - 2:00 pm

Indiana University Wind Ensemble Concert

Rodney Dorsey - Director/Conductor

 Auer Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Tuesday, April 11th  - 8:00 pm

Indiana University Harp Studio Recital

Elzbieta Szmyt - Director/Conductor

 Auer Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Saturday, April 1sh - 2:00 pm

Indiana University Wind Ensemble - Doctoral Recital

Tess Jones - Conductor

 Auer Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Tuesday, March 7th - 2:50 pm

Indiana University Wind Ensemble - Children's Concert

Rodney Dorsey - Directors/Conductor

 Auer Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Wednesday, February 22nd  - 10:00 am

Indiana University Wind Ensemble Concert

Rodney Dorsey and Stephen W. Pratt - Directors/Conductors

 Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Tuesday, February 21st  - 8:00 pm

Appalachia: A Southeastern Wind Symphony

"Bookmarks from Japan" Concert

Logan Campbell - Director/Conductor

Knoxville Catholic High School

Saturday, February 11th - 7:00 pm

Galentine's Tea at the Tennessean Hotel

It's ladies day out! Celebrate friendships old & new.

Saturday, February 11th - 2:00 pm

Fall/Winter 2022 Public Events

Holiday Tea at the Tennessean Hotel

It's a lovely tradition that you truly don't want to miss!

Sunday, December 18th - 12:00 and 2:00 pm

Indiana University Harp Ensemble Christmas Concert

Elzbieta Szmyt - Director/Conductor

 Oaks Christian Church

Wednesday, December 7th - 6:00 pm

Indiana University Chimes of Christmas Concert - Featuring the Singing Hoosiers

Chris Albanese - Director

 IU Auditorium - Jacobs School of Music

Saturday, December 3rd  - 2:00 and 7:30 pm

Harp Encounter

Bethel Presbyterian Church - Contact Rebecca Price

203 S. Kentucky St, Kingston, TN

Sunday, November 20th - 2:00 pm

Indiana University Fall Showcase

Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music

November 15th  - 8:00 - 10:00 pm

Indiana University Student Harp Recital

Elzbieta Szmyt - Director/Conductor

 Auer Hall - IU Jacobs School of Music

Saturday, November 5th  - 2:00 pm

Indiana University Wind Ensemble Concert

Rodney Dorsey and Tiffany J. Galus - Directors/Conductors

 Musical Arts Center - IU Jacobs School of Music 

Tuesday, November 1st  - 8:00 pm

St. Mark's Presbyterian Church - Fauré Requiem

Alex Koppel, Eric Meincke, and Susan Swaney - Conductors 

 IN-46, Bloomington, IN

Saturday, November 1st  - 4:00 pm

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does a pedal harp cost?  A new, full sized Concert Grand pedal harp costs anywhere from $16,000-$80,000 and above, with those in the upper price range having ornate carving and/or gilding. 
  • How many strings does your harp have? 47, which gives a harp about the same range as a piano. And why are some of the strings different colors? All of the C strings are red and F strings are black. This enables the harpist to "know where they are" on the harp. How do you tune your harp and how often do you have to do that? The end of the strings at the top are wound around pegs and I have a tuning key that's kind of like a socket wrench that is used to turn the pegs. As for how often I do that, I tune the harp every time before practicing or performing. How often do you have to change the strings? It depends on how much a harp is played, but I usually change the wire strings every other year and the gut and nylon strings at least annually, with many of strings in the middle octaves more often.  I also have a harp technician regulate the harp every year, which means adjusting the mechanical parts of the harp so that each string is in tune when it is in the flat, natural and sharp position. 
  • What are the pedals for? Pedal harps have 7 pedals, one for each note in the scale. The pedals are connected to rods that are inside the column and link to discs at the top of each string to make the string essentially shorter (as in using frets on a guitar).  Each pedal has 3 positions at the base of the harp. The highest position is flat, the middle is natural and the lowest is sharp. So, if I move the C pedal down from the middle to the lower position, for example, that changes ALL of the C strings from natural to sharp. The pedals enable me to change the flats and sharps as many times as needed while playing a piece of music.
  • How much does the harp weigh? Mine weighs 81 pounds, which is about average for a pedal harp. How many moving parts does it have? Over 2,000, and that's because of the pedal system described above. How do you transport it? I have a 3-piece padded transport cover set that protects the harp while it's being moved.  After I put the cover set on my harp I strap it to a dolly/harp cart and move it to my car, where it rides comfortably on a custom made foam mattress.
  • Does the harp require any special care?  Yes. Like many instruments made of wood, a harp requires a humidity controlled environment, usually about 40-60 percent. Below that can cause the soundboard to crack. Also, extreme cold or heat can cause damage to the instrument, and many harpists will not play their harp outside for that reason. For an extra measure of safety,  I also use a custom made mattress in my vehicle to cushion my harp when traveling.

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