At Laurier, our harp program welcomes both pedal and lever harp players, offering a rich and diverse learning experience. Weekly group performance classes delve into improvisation, arranging, composition, and chord chart reading, culminating in performances as a harp ensemble.
Students have the flexibility to concentrate on various fields, including performance, composition, integrated musical arts, music education, music therapy, music history, theory and critical analysis, and self-directed studies. Our program supports studying multiple areas simultaneously, allowing students to tailor their education to their unique interests.
Our instructors, bring extensive experience in solo, symphonic, and chamber music, as well as folk, popular, and improvisational performance. They are dedicated to nurturing well-rounded musicians, preparing them for the professional world and helping them achieve their highest performance potential.
The harp studio offers a space for all harp students can practice in and store their harps.
Students will have the opportunity to perform in the beautiful Maureen Forrester Recital Hall as well as other venues in the community including a noon hour series at First United Church. Winners of the Ken Murray Concerto Competition will have the occasion to perform with the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony on stage at the Centre in the Square.
The harp studio is a supportive and inclusive environment where everyone is encouraged to explore and develop their own interests and abilities within a safe environment before bringing them into a concert setting. During lessons and as a group we explore ways to manage performance anxiety, tension, physical and emotional stress as well as enhancing musical performance.
Admission to the Bachelor of Music is determined by a holistic review of your audition, academic transcript, interview, reference and optional portfolio.
You can find the harp audition requirements here.
It is recommended that anyone interested in applying to the harp program should arrange to have a lesson with Lori Gemmell or Sharlene Wallace before their audition so they can get a sense of the program and the teaching style.
