Most recently Emi was one of 8 featured young composers at the American Harp Society's Summer Institute in Northfield, MN where she performed her piece for solo lever harp, The Descent, an exploration of various modalities to represent a soul becoming human, descending to earth. Her piece, Never Doubt, for flute, alto flute, chamber choir, and electronic track, with text from Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2016 presidential election concession speech won an honorable mention in the Westminster Conservatory Scholarship competition and was performed at the Student Composers' Showcase. Then Emi was off to Rabun Gap, GA for the Young Artist Harp Seminar where she was Harp Intern for the Prep Division. There she worked closely with Prep directors, Kristie Shade and Katie Andrews of Duo Scorpio as their assistant, performed in the opening concert with them, and taught a class on Innovations in Lever Harp. She also had a chance to teach her piece, The Blue Dragonfly, to the Prep Division Ensemble and conduct the performance of it in the final concert. Next up for Emi, The Somerset Folk Harp Festival, where she'll perform in the Friday lunchtime concert a 40 minute set of originals and innovative covers.
She first came to the harp at the age of 7 at an Early Music Festival in Hamilton, NJ. After the concerts, the Guild for Early Music held an "instrument petting zoo". It was there that someone placed a tiny historical harp in Emily's lap, and she fell in love. After talking non-stop about it for months, she received a small 22-string for Christmas that year, and the rest, as they say, is history.
[Here's a story in Early Music America about that very day with Emily pictured playing a bass viol.]
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| Emily's 1st Harp |
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| Camac Athena |
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| Dusty Strings Ravenna 34 |
She's on a mission to innovate the lever harp through composition and non-traditional performances in unexpected genres. To achieve this goal she has recently completed her fully orchestrated "Concerto for Lever Harp", and "6TeenE", an experimental piece for lever harp with mixed chamber and percussion ensemble.
Emi released her first CD in September 2016, entitled "Lift", which is available on iTunes and CD Baby, as well as at all performances. A second album of all new original tunes is in the works.
Bookings: emilydeliamusic@gmail.com
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