Kathleen Hartshorne played for the Angel Harps annual fundraiser in 2008, 2009, and will perform again in 2010.

Trained as a classical musician, Kathleen Hartshorne studied at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and is former member of the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra Festival Choir.

On a trip to Ireland she became enchanted with the Irish lever harp and the haunting strains of ancient Celtic music.

The result?

Hartshorne currently performs solo, and with the Celtic Echoes Band, playing Ancient Irish and Renaissance Music on the Irish Lever Harp throughout the United States and Ireland.

In addition, she teaches harp, piano, and runs a fun and innovative musical play group kids called, “The Wee Ones.”

Her title currently available includes Ancient Echoes.

Carmen Elena Barreiro is popularly called, La Reina del Arpa (Queen of the Harp) and is no stranger to healing harp music therapy.

Not only did this talented Venezuelan harpist contribute her talents to Angel Harps at the 2005 benefit concert, but when she lived in San Diego she also volunteered her harp playing talents for patients at various hospitals throughout the county including Sharp Memorial Hospital.

Barreiro has traveled throughout Latin America, Europe, Caribbean Islands and the United States and was previously associated with Los Hijos de la Casa Grande (Children of the Big House).

Above: Los Hijos de la Case Grande featuring a young Carmen Elena Barreiro playing the Venezuelan Harp.

Carmen Elena was the only girl in a family of five children and earned her reputation as La Reina del Arpa by performing and touring with her mother, father and siblings.

Her love affair with the Venezuelan harp began when she was a small child and continues today.

Venezuelan music can be traced back to European and African cultures and Barreiro describes it as “a mixture of innovation and improvisation” and emphasizes that the players don’t read the music but learn to play by ear.

So this talented harpist does not limit herself.

In addition to her experiences, she has also studied Celtic harp and after Barreiro noticed similarities between African music and Venezuelan music, she adopted the style of the kora (African harp-lute)–using the African style of repetition to emphasize rhythms.

The result is that she and adapts easily and can play any type of music.

Her works are hard to find but include Solo Arpa, The Family Reunion, La Reina del Arpa, and Los Hijos de la Casa Grande.

Above: Video excerpt from Carmen elena Barrerio’s Solo Arpa.

You can listen to the Venezuelan harpist recordings here.