Harp Societies and Organizations in Europe

The following is a list of all groups, harp circles, ensembles, societies, and organizations for harp enthusiasts across Europe. Join a group near you!

If you are looking for societies in a different region, return to the worldwide list.

## Belgium

Les Amis de la Harpe Mosane

**Mission:** June 11th 1993 a peculiar association was born in the capital city of Wallonia. Its goals were simple: promote the harp and the Namur composers who appreciated this instrument and composed for it during the last decades. They have organized concerts and auditions allowing young talented students to perform in public.

Harpe Diem – De Harp in Vlaanderen

**Mission:** Op 26 januari 2007 werd in het Belgisch Staatsblad de oprichting van de Stichting van Openbaar Nut Harpe Diem gepubliceerd. Deze is gegroeid uit de feitelijke vereniging die sinds 1994 jaarlijks een Vlaamse harpdag organiseerde. De stichting heeft tot doel: De belangstelling voor de harp te bevorderen in de meest ruime zin. Het harponderricht in Vlaanderen kwalitatief en kwantitatief te steunen en te stimuleren. Het contact tussen de liefhebbers van de harp aan te moedigen.

## Germany

The harpACademy

**Description:** The harpACademy offers training for musically talented children and youths (boarding school); and for students intending to become musicians in an orchestra, teachers for harp playing or soloists. The harpACademy also offers courses for professional musicians and for amateurs. Technical virtuosity is more or less a passing phase. The goal is art. If music only remains technic, then the basic essence, the art, the sensibility, the creativity, the spirit can be missing.

Verband Der Harfenisten in Deutschland

**Description:** Von ca. 30 Mitgliedern ist der Verband auf inzwischen über 300 angewachsen. Das zeigt das stetig zunehmende Interesse an der Arbeit des Vereins. Die ursprünglich angesprochene Zielgruppe der Konzertharfenisten hat sich im Laufe der Jahre breit aufgefächert. Nun gehören auch Schüler, Studenten, Pädagogen, Harfenbauer, Harfner der Folkszene, Historiker, Laien und Freunde der Harfe zum Verband.

## Ireland

Historical Harp Society of Ireland

**Description:** The Historical Harp Society of Ireland was founded in 2002 to support a revival of the largely forgotten medieval musical instrument, which has one thousand years of illustrious history and tradition behind it and which is still depicted in the national emblem: the early Irish harp.

The Society promotes the rigorous study of – and historically informed performance of – the instrument and its music, which lies at the core of Irish music traditions, using measured copies of the surviving historic Irish harps housed in museum and private collections.

Irish Harp Centre

**Mission:** Raising standards, appreciation and visibility of Irish harping nationally and internationally. The Irish Harp Centre is:

* A college and training system: a music school providing weekly tuition in Irish harp and other traditional Irish music instruments with vocal training to students of all ages and abilities.
* A publishing company producing books, CDs, DVDs.
* An agency offering professional harping for all occasions to private and corporate patrons.

## United Kingdom

Clarsach Society, The

**Mission:** The Clarsach Society’s aim is to promote, encourage and develop the playing of the clarsach, nationally and internationally, through tuition, performance and publication.

Clera

**Mission:** Clera aims to organise Workshops every year in North Wales, Mid Wales and South Wales. Our Sesiwn dros Gymru project funded by the Arts Council of Wales ran a wide range of workshops, classes and sessions across Wales from March 1st 2012 to March 1st 2013.

United Kingdom Harp Association

**Mission:** The United Kingdom Harp Association exists to bring together all those interested in the harp, in all its forms, including amateur and professional players, teachers, and businesses providing services for the harp. It is run by unpaid volunteers.

## All Other Countries

**France -** l’Association Internationale des Harpistes et des Amis de la Harpe

**Description:** The IAH is an international organization with correspondents from around the world. They offer recitals, concerts, competitions, master classes and a directory of French harp schools and teachers.

**Italy -** Associazione Italiana Dell’Arpa

**Description:** A gathering place for harpists related to any genre (modern harp, Celtic, ancient, ethnic, jazz, etc.) Professionals, amateurs, students, and for anyone interested in the harp (music lovers, makers, rope makers, musicologists, ethnomusicologists, music therapists, organologists, acoustic physicists, etc.).

**Netherlands -** Nederlandse Folk Harp Vereniging

**Mission:** De Nederlandse Folk Harp Vereniging (NFHV), opgericht in 1995, stelt zich ten doel harpisten van elk niveau en van jong tot oud met elkaar in contact te brengen, alsmede kennis en informatie over alles wat er speelt in de wereld van de folkharp te verspreiden. Om dit doel te bereiken geeft de NFHV viermaal per jaar het verenigingsblad "Folk Harp Folks!" uit.

**Poland -** Polskie Towarzystwo Harfowe

**Mission:** Polskie Towarzystwo Harfowe powstało w 2003 roku. Jego misją jest kreowanie rozwoju i promocji kultury oraz edukacji muzycznej, szczególnie w zakresie muzyki wykonywanej na harfie, poprzez koncerty, festiwale, konkursy, działalność impresaryjną. W ciągu minionych dziesięciu lat (2003-2013) Towarzystwo było organizatorem lub partnerem kilkunastu wydarzeń muzycznych

**Spain -** Asociación Española de Arpistas (AEDA)

**Description:** La Asociación Española de Arpistas (AEDA) nace con la finalidad de reunir tanto a profesionales del arpa como estudiantes o aficionados. La idea partió de un grupo de arpistas profesionales por la necesidad de tener un punto de encuentro entre los diferentes arpistas de España para aunar experiencia y esfuerzos, compartir información, novedades y realizar un encuentro anual con conferencias, mesas redondas y clases magistrales impartidas por relevantes intérpretes.

**Switzerland -** Die Schweizerische Harfenvereinigung

**Description:** Die Vereinigung strebt eine Verbindung zwischen Harfenisten - Amateuren und Professionellen - und Freunden der Harfe an und möchte ausserdem die Harfe einem breiten Publikum besser bekannt machen. Die Vereinigung fördert das Komponieren für die Harfe.

**Turkey -** Arp Sanati Derneği

**Mission:** Arp Sanatı Derneği, arpın Türkiye'deki tarihsel birikimine ve kültürlerarası birleştirici özelliğine sahip çıkarak tanınırlığını artırmak, Türkiye koşullarına uygun türevlerini üretmek, kullanımını yaygınlaştırmak, yeni besteler ve yerel müzik kültüründen beslenen yenilikçi örnekler ortaya çıkarmak, bunları ülke içinde ve dışında mesleki platformlara taşımak, arp alanında faaliyet gösteren meslek insanlarına destekler sağlamak üzere müzisyenler, besteciler, aranjörler, çalgı yapımcıları, konser organizatörleri,müzik yazarları ve yayıncıları ile farklı sanat dallarından kişilerle birlikte hareket eder ve bu amaçlar doğrultusunda özel sektör, kamu ve sivil toplum kuruluşlarıyla işbirlikleri kurar.

**Romania -**Asociația Harpiștilor din România

**Description:** Founded in July, 2016 by harpist Roxana Moișanu, the Romanian Harpists Association (RHA), is a nonprofit educational and cultural organisation aims at conceiving, promoting and carrying out the activities of performing arts with focus on harpistic interpretation and harp compositions.

**Mission:** One of the main goal of RHA is to stimulate interest in harp, music, culture, imagination, research, perpetuation and promotion of national and international cultural values, by educating children, young people and all citizens interested in arts and music, and also creating a proper framework for the exchange of knowledge and cultural - educational information between Romania and other states.