Program Overview
Boston Conservatory at Berklee's undergraduate harp performance program offers everything a harpist could want: a collaborative learning environment, faculty who value individuality and encourage exploration, a city that is home to extraordinary harpists who perform in a broad spectrum of genres, and an arts environment that features an amazing range of performance opportunities.
The Conservatory's harp program is focused on developing technical prowess and refining artistry. Between personalized instruction with award-winning harpists and the abundance of soloist and ensemble-based performance opportunities, Conservatory harpists are constantly performing and shaping their creative perspective.
Students also have the opportunity to use their talent to help those in need through a special partnership with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) known as GentleMUSES. Students who choose to participate in this initiative perform harp repertoire as a therapeutic service to complement the medical work of MGH's Cancer Center and pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. Patients benefit from the calming effects of the music and appreciate the performers in a unique way.
Our Students
Conservatory harpists work tirelessly to hone their skills so that they may find their unique artistic voice. They are detail oriented and want to explore the intricacies of the harp to unlock the instrument's full potential. Students who are most successful in this program are fully prepared in mind and in spirit to devote their lives to music and take their artistry to the next level.
Curriculum Overview
The first two years of the Conservatory's rigorous harp performance training focus on establishing a solid foundation of standard repertoire and practical musical skills, such as sight reading, music theory, rhythmic embodiment, harmonization, and improvisation. At the same time, students work to strengthen their technical and performance skills in weekly private lessons, seminar classes, and ensemble and chamber performances.
In their junior and senior years, students delve deeper into their musical studies and can customize their academic path to reflect their career goals. They may choose from a variety of elective courses available between the Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, including career skills, the Alexander Technique, arts journalism, nonverbal communication, and many others. For their degree recitals, students are responsible for coordinating with their fellow student instrumentalists and vocalists to produce a well-rounded program of music. Meanwhile, students are encouraged to keep an active performance schedule with Conservatory and Greater Boston ensembles.
Course Requirements
The Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance requires students to complete 120 credits, consisting of the course requirements listed below. View the Sample Curriculum by Semester for additional details.
Core Studies
Major Requirements
- M-AP 0009 Applied lessons (24 credits total; 3 credits each)
- M-EN 0069 Instrumental Ensemble (6 credits total; 1 credit each)
- M-EN 0079 Chamber Music (6 credits total; 1 credit each)
- M-PD 0431 Pedagogy 1: Harp (1 credit)
- M-PD 0432 Pedagogy 2: Harp (1 credit)
- M-PR 0009 Concert & Recital Attendance (0 credits; completed four times)
- M-PR 1431 Foundations of Instrumental Studies 1: Harp (1 credit)
- M-PR 1432 Foundations of Instrumental Studies 2: Harp (1 credit)
- M-SK 0009 Recital (0 credits; completed two times)
- M-SK 0991 Conducting 1 (1 credit)
- M-ST 0009 Applied Lesson Studio Class (0 credit; completed eight times)
- M-ST 0431 Orchestral Excerpts and Audition Preparation: Harp (1 credit)
- M-ST 0439 Performance Seminar: Harp (6 credits total; 1 credit each)
General Education and Liberal Arts
- A-xx 739xx Africana Studies or L-CM 739xx Liberal Arts elective: Arts & Humanities (3 credits)
- A-xx 749xx Africana Studies or L-CM 749xx Liberal Arts elective: Social Sciences (3 credits)
- A-xx 759xx Africana Studies or L-CM 759xx Liberal Arts elective: Math/Science (3 credits)
- A-xx 7x9xx Africana Studies or L-CM 7x9xx Liberal Arts electives (12 credits total; 3 credits each)
- C-PR 1001 Introduction to Creative Media Technology (1 credit)
- L-CM 1301 Introduction to College Writing (3 credits)
- L-CM 1302 Literature Topics (3 credits)
- M-LT 1103 Music and Culture in Context (2 credits)
- M-LT 1104 Narratives of Music History 1: Antiquity and the Renaissance (2 credits)
- M-LT 2103 Narratives of Music History 2: The Baroque and Classical Periods (2 credits)
- M-LT 2104 Narratives of Music History 3: Romanticism (2 credits)
- M-LT 3103 Narratives of Music History 4: Post-Romanticism and Modernism through WWII (2 credits)
- M-LT 3104 Narratives of Music History 5: Modern Contexts and Narratives Post-1950 (2 credits)
- Xxxxx General electives (6 credits total)
What You Will Learn
The Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance program features a range of course experiences to allow students to build a toolkit of the skills required for success as an impactful artist-performer today. Upon successful completion of the program, students will:
- prepare and accurately perform a wide range of musical styles, genre, and repertoire through the foundation of technique and musical comprehension developed in applied instrumental lessons, large and small ensemble experiences, coachings, master classes, and observations, as well as through genre-specific repertoire courses and the study of harp pedagogy, music theory, and music history;
- apply ear-training skills, knowledge of theoretical and harmonic analysis, as well as historical context to the study and performance of a score;
- sustain and build upon their instrumental technique, based upon their understanding of the foundational techniques of their instrument, studied in applied lessons as well as in harp pedagogy;
- perform with meaning and context, informed by an ability to analyze and place into context the material of a score;
- develop and foster meaningful artistic collaborations with partners across the musical and artistic spectrum;
- cultivate meaningful connections to the communities in which they teach and perform, informed by their experiences in large and small ensembles, and through special partnership programs at Boston Conservatory; and
- establish an artistic identity that represents their individuality, celebrating music of past and present, and serving as a champion for the future of our industry.
Your Future
The harp performance program prepares students to perform at their highest level, whether auditioning for orchestras, competing in competitions, collaborating with composers, performing in recitals, or arranging music for harp in a variety of genres.
Ensembles
- Boston Ballet
- Boston Lyric Opera
- Boston Modern Orchestra Project
- Boston Pops Orchestra
- Boston Symphony Orchestra
- China Philharmonic (Beijing)
- Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
- New World Symphony
- Opera Boston
- Odyssey Opera
- Radio Symphony Orchestra (Germany)
- Savannah Music Festival
- Tanglewood Music Center
Appointments
- Brevard Music Center
- Wellesley College
- New England Conservatory Preparatory Division
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Highly Successful Private Teaching Studios
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston)
- Medicana International Hospital and Acibadem Hospital (Turkey)
Awards
- Anne Adams Award
- Bucharest International Harp Competition
- Cite des Arts International Harp Competition (France)
- The International Harp Contest (Israel)
- Young Artist Harp Competition
How to Apply
