Composer’s Spotlight: Jasmin-Isabel Kühne plays ‘New Blues’

Composer’s Spotlight Series: Jasmin-Isabel Kühne performs ‘New Blues’

In this interview, Jasmin-Isabel shares her experience performing New Blues. She likes that people see how cool the rhythmic melody of New Blues is. She also emphasizes how versatile the harp is – how many different styles and sounds are possible on this beloved instrument.

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Jasmin-Isabel Kühne

Jasmin-Isabel Kühne is an outstanding young German harpist who completed her concert studies with honors and master’s studies in Paris and Oslo with famous harpist Isabelle Perrin. She is not only a winner of international competitions, but also a scholarship holder from various foundations, including the German National Academic Foundation.

After many years of orchestral work and teaching at the Detmold University of Music, Jasmin-Isabel Kühne is now concentrating entirely on her solo career; she plays solo recitals and in various chamber music formations, gives master classes and is a sought-after substitute in top-class orchestras. She is also an enthusiastic educator and taught as a lecturer in the harp class at the Detmold University of Music in the 2020/21 academic year. She now runs her own online school “International Harp Academy”.

Continue reading below for the full interview with Jasmin-Isabel Kühne

Watch Jasmin-Isabel Kühne playing ‘New Blues’ to share positivity during pandemic times.

A Mini-Interview with Jasmin-Isabel

How would you describe your experience of playing the piece?

good mood, fun, cool harp stuff, dance

What do people say when you play this piece? Do you have favorite memories of people’s reactions to it?

People are always surprised how “cool” the harp can sound when they listen to me performing the “New Blues” by DHC. They especially enjoy the rhythmical melody and get in a great mood automatically (me included!). It’s not only pure fun and joy to listen to this piece, also to perform it!

What drew you to this piece – why did you choose to learn it?

I was looking for a short, but expressing “cool” harp piece for my solo CD “C’est moi” which I recorded in 2020 at the WDR Radio Production in Cologne, Germany. When listening to DHCs “New Blues” the first time, I immediately knew: This is “my” piece, let’s learn it!

What does this piece add to your repertoire (and/or your life) that you didn’t have before?

“New Blues” reminds me of including more “cool” harp pieces in my recital repertoire that not only brings pure fun and joy to me and the audience but also clarifies how many different styles and sounds are possible on our beloved instrument, the harp.

What would you tell someone else who’s thinking of learning this piece that you wish you’d known before you learned it?

Exercise your muffling technique in the left hand. 🙂

What do you think you can get from working directly with the composer of the piece that you can’t get from the sheet music?

Working directly with amazing DHC would allow me to feel her energy and spirit DHC had when composing “New Blues”. Also, I would be interested about the background – where was DHC when she decided to play the New Blues, how did she feel while performing it the first time, is there a story behind the title etc.

Anything else you want to say?

Can’t wait for new cool compositions from DHC generally – and… a HUGE dream would be to receive a dedicated piece from DHC which she has composed for me inspired by my personality. #thinkbig

Please follow this artist on social media and let them know what has opened up for your own self-expression in seeing and hearing their performance, and please share in the comments below.

Website: jasmin-isabel-kuehne.de
YouTube: Jasmin-Isabel Kuehne
Instagram: @soloharpistslife
Facebook: Jasmin-Isabel Kühne 

Stay tuned for more artists soon and check out my Composer’s Spotlight blog series, featuring other talented musicians who played my song! If you’re playing my music, apply here to be in the ‘Composer’s Spotlight’ blog series.