PRESS RELEASE - Run Through Sep 25, 2010

The Boston Harp Festival presents Deborah Henson-Conant's "Strings of Passion" as the Opening Concert of their 2010 Festival at Boston Conservatory. at 8pm, Sat. Sept. 25th in Seuly Hall at Boston Conservatory, 8 Fenway in Boston.

- Tickets are $25 at the Door. Limited advance and discount tickets available at: http://www.hipharp.com/events/stringspassion-2010.html
- Contact / Interview Scheduling: Beatriz Harley, info@HipHarp.com , 781-483-3556
- Hi-Res Images: http://www.hipharp.com/pressphotos.html
- Artist Website: http://www.HipHarp.com
- Boston Harp Festival Website: Info http://www.bostonharpfestival.com

MORE ABOUT "STRINGS of PASSION" in the artist's words:

“Strings of Passion” is a concert of music, ideas and humor, and the Sept. 25th performance at Boston Conservatory is its first Boston preview. The project was originally suggested to me by Vinnie Sestito, who books motivational speakers. After seeing my music special on PBS he wrote and suggested I take the combination of ideas, stories and music that characterize my shows and build a performance that lets the audience deeper into my process as an artist, letting them engage both musically and physically with it. So “Strings of Passion” is a both concert and lecture, both listening and interactive for the audience.

"Strings of Passion" plays out 7 principles, string by string, using the unusual instrument that was invented for me – a 32-strings electric harness harp - to show how they resonate and harmonize with each other: These principles include invention, collaboration, leadership, structure, character, exploration -- and lift-off, as an idea becomes reality.

In this performance, the harp – with its 32 strings – represents the resonance of different ideas in our lives – with the understanding that we don't play every string in every song - but it is the resonance of the strings we don't play that gives the strings we do play their richness.

I’ve spent the past 2 decades reinventing my instrument, developing new shows, even writing full orchestra scores so I could explore how this new instrument interacts with symphonies. While I was focused on exploring this new instrument, and what it could do — what I learned was not only how to play it, how to write orchestra scores, how to film a PBS music special — but how ideas resonate through people, how groups collaborate, how leadership takes many different shapes. These understandings is what “Strings of Passion” is all about – described in words and music.

- Deborah Henson-Conant (Sept. 2010)

ADDITIONAL EVENTS with Deborah Henson-Conant at the Boston Harp Festival:
In addition to "Strings of Passion," Deborah Henson-Conant will take part in two other events at the Boston Harp Festival at Boston Conservatory:

- BOOK SIGNING: for her new release, "Gurl's Guide to Amplification" Sun. Sept. 26 at 3pm (in the Boston Conservatory Opera Studio)

- PANEL DISCUSSION on "Performance Readiness" at Sun. Sept. 26.at 4pm at Boston Conservatory.

BRIEF ARTIST BIO
DEBORAH HENSON-CONANT is a Grammy-Nominated composer-performer and the world’s premiere electric harpist.She sings, plays and tells stories in Nouvelle- Cabaret shows that combine styles from Flamenco to Blues.She’s toured internationally, soloed with the Boston Pops, opened for Ray Charles at Tanglewood, jammed onstage with Bobby McFerrin and offstage with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, and starred in her own music special on PBS, “Invention & Alchemy.” She's been featured on shows from CBS’ “Sunday Morning” and NBC’s “Today Show” to NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” and interviewed by hosts and journalists from Scott Simon, Susan Stamberg and Studs Terkel to Charlie Rose and Joan Rivers.

PRESS QUOTES - Click for More Quotes
“ [she’s] reshaping the serenely Olympian harp into a jazz instrument by warping it closer to the Blues.” New York Times

“ ... dazzling harp playing, gorgeous jazz/pop singing, comic timing and impressive songwriting” Austin American-Statesman

“ Striking flamenco sparks from the strings … wrenching distorted bends worthy of Eddie Van Halen … belting gutbucket blues and crooning lullabies … the intense focus commanded by a master storyteller.” Springfield Union-News

ARTIST WEBSITE & SOCIAL MEDIA:
• Website: http://www.HipHarp.com
• Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/HipHarp
• Blog: http://hipharp.wordpress.com/
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/HipHarpist
• YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/HipHarpist
 
For more artist info or to schedule an interview, contact: 
Beatriz Harley, info@HipHarp.com, 781-483-3556
More Info: http://www.hipharp.com/publicity.html
Hi-Res Images: http://www.hipharp.com/pressphotos.html