Submitted by Symphony Tacoma
Symphony Tacoma welcomes Grammy-nominated electric harp virtuoso Deborah Henson-Conant back to Tacoma for a special Earth Day performance. “Earth Songs from the Harp” will take place on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 2:30 pm in Tacoma’s Pantages Theater.
For this concert, Henson-Conant and Maestra Sarah Ioannides are planning a celebration of the joy, passion and humor of living on Planet Earth. Inspired by Jazz, Latin, Blues, Musical Theater and Flamenco, the music ranges from “Catcher in the Rye,” a jungle warrior tribute to J.D. Salinger’s literary masterpiece, to the sweet lullaby, “Nightingale.”
Henson-Conant’s previous Tacoma performance resulted in a sold-out show in 2011. “I am thrilled to bring Deborah back!” says Ioannides. “She is one of the most unique and exciting artists we have presented, and this concert provides an opportunity for all to be a part of the wonder and diversity she brings.”
Henson-Conant’s voice has been compared to Carly Simon and Joan Baez; her playing to Chuck Berry and Jimi Hendrix; and her humor to Victor Borge and Eddie Izzard. Her signature instrument, the “DHC Light” electric body harp, was invented by Henson-Conant in collaboration with the French harp-builder CAMAC. “I wanted to take an 80-pound concert harp and shrink it down to an instrument I could strap on my hip and play like an electric guitar,” she says. It allows her to stride onto stage like a rock star and delight audiences with songs and stories and a performance that is bigger-than-life, inventive and unexpected.
The “Harpbreakers,” an ensemble of local harpists, will accompany Henson-Conant on stage for a portion of the concert and will be available with their instruments after the concert for guests to interact with.
Tickets start at $19.50 and can be purchased online at symphonytacoma.org or by calling 253.591.5894.
Earth Songs from the Harp is sponsored by KeyBank Foundation, M Agency and Marine Floats, with support from the Tacoma Philharmonic Endowment.
About Deborah Henson-Conant
Deborah Henson-Conant is a Grammy-nominated electric harp virtuoso with a wicked sense of humor, a gutsy set of vocal chords and a theatrical flair. As an instrumentalist, she has brought the harp from the background and put it front and center. As a composer, she’s created concert, symphonic and music-theater works, from serious chamber operas and song cycles, to flamenco-inspired concertos and fantasies. She has released over a dozen albums, composed nearly 50 symphonic works and performed internationally for nearly three decades. www.hipharp.com