Philly Harp Elections

Hello Philly Harp Members

The next two weeks Philly Harp is will holding Elections, learn about the nominees below and cast your vote

Nominations:

Rebecca SImpson - President:

Rebecca Simpson is a classically trained harpist living and performing in the Philadelphia area. She earned a Master of Music from the Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University and a Bachelor of Music from the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University. She graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt and was inducted into the Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society her junior year, signifying she was in the top 5% of her class. Internationally, Rebecca has performed in Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Korea, and China. Closer to home, Rebecca has performed with the Curtis Symphony Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba, Symphony in C, Wilmington Ballet Company, Bay Atlantic Symphony, Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony, Warminster Symphony Orchestra, the Pennsylvania Orchestra, the Orchestra Society of Philadelphia, and other local orchestras. Rebecca particularly enjoys orchestral playing and collaborative chamber ensembles. Her love of playing for operas and musicals began when she spent a summer in Florence, Italy, studying the art of accompanying opera singers with members of the Metropolitan Opera. During this program, she won two of the three awards open to harpists. Rebecca also spent two seasons as Principal Harp with the Ohio Light Opera in Wooster, OH. In 2010, Rebecca released a self-titled solo album. Past teachers include Elizabeth Hainen, Principal Harp with the Philadelphia Orchestra; Marian Shaffer, Principal Harp with the Memphis Symphony; Joan Holland, Professor of Harp at the University of Michigan and Interlochen Arts Academy; Susan Jolles, Associate Harp with the Metropolitan Opera; Alice Chalifoux, Saul Davis, Barbara Biggers, and Virginia Flanagan.

Manijech Pickard - Co-Vice President

Manijéh René Pickard attended MidAmerica Nazarene University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Music Performance and Music Pedagogy in addition to a Bachelor of Music Education. Her teachers include Deborah Wells Clark, Principal Harpist of the Kansas City Symphony, Tabitha Reist Steiner, Wesley Kelly, and Roseanne Gortenburg. On August 25, 2013, she became the President of the Kansas City Lyra Chapter, an organization that promotes the harp.

Manijéh currently resides in Philadelphia where she freelances and teaches harp and piano lessons in the Philadelphia and Bucks County area. She maintains strong ties with Kansas City by serving as the President of the KC Lyra Chapter and continuing lessons with a select few students. She also remains an active member of the Olathe Music Teacher’s Association, the Mid-America Music Association, Philadelphia Harp Chapter, and the American Harp Society.

Nichole Rohrbach - Co-Vice President

Nichole is the founder and owner of the well established Harp and Soul solo, duo and trio. With studios based both in Metro Atlanta and the Greater Philadelphia Area, Nichole is in high demand as a premier performing artist up and down the East Coast.

Nichole has performed at elite establishments including the Ritz Carlton (Philadelphia, PA), One Atlantic (Atlantic City, NJ), BMW (Greenville, SC), Four Seasons (Atlanta, GA), The Rittenhouse Hotel (Philadelphia, PA), The Downtown Club (Philadelphia, PA), Ballroom at The Ben (Philadelphia, PA), Waterworks (Philadelphia, PA), Radnor Valley Country Club (Radnor, PA) and many others.

Nichole also enjoys participating in large and small ensembles and has performed with Atlanta Music Project Orchestra (Atlanta, GA), AUC Symphony Orchestra (Atlanta, GA), St. Peters By The Sea Orchestra (New Jersey), Reading Philharmonic Orchestra (Reading, PA), Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra (Maryland/Delaware), The Fountain Inn Symphony Orchestra (Fountain Inn, SC), BJ University Harp Ensemble (Greenville, SC) and BJU Symphony Orchestra (Greenville, SC), Grace Church Worship Team (Philadelphia, PA) and Redeemer Community Worship Team (Atlanta, GA).

Candace Lark - Secretary

Candace is an alumin of Philadelphia Highschool for the Creative and Performing Arts and Arcadia University pursuing an Individualized Major of Music Performance and Special Education. In her Junior year, Candace started her now thriving music studio, Lark Music. Candace is also The Happy Musician Blogger, the purpose of the blog is to give musicians advice and guidance on keeping happiness in their art.

During the summer you can find Candace coaching and mentoring students with e her former teacher Anne Sullivan. She has performed with many orchestras, including the Lansdown Symphony, and the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra to state a few.

Candace has graced the stages of The Academy Of Music and The Kimmel Center and the Wilma Theater. She is a sought-after harpist in the tri-state area performing regularly with various jazz and classical ensembles. She is currently the Harpist with the Ever Ensemble, performing a fusion of classical, and international music, with a modern twist.

Cheryl Cunningham - Treasurer

is an exceptionally versatile harpist, A student of noted teachers Susann McDonald and Peter E. Eagle, she earned her Master of Music, Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music degrees with high distinction from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

As a soloist, Cheryl has appeared with the Academy Chamber Society, Ambler Symphony and the Philadelphia Doctors' Symphony, and she was the winner of the concerto competition at Indiana University in 1981. An active recitalist, Cheryl has performed in a variety of settings, including retirement communities, schools, and for several appearances in the "Recitals at Trinity Cathedral" series.

Cheryl is the Principal harpist for the Delaware Valley Philharmonic, Greater Trenton Symphony Orchestra and Boheme Opera, NJ, Cheryl Dungan Cunningham maintains her teaching studio just outside of Philadelphia, PA. Besides her teaching, recording and symphonic engagements, Cheryl has performed for countless special events and has entertained patrons of numerous restaurants, including long running restaurant engagements performing popular music at the William Penn Inn Commonwealth Club, Country Veranda, and La Petite Roche in the Little Rock Excelsior Hotel.

Cheryl years of service to the AHS and PAHS reach back more then 20 years.. She continues to be a wonderful asset to everyone she works with.

VOTE HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/NMMZZQL