Luminaries: The Eclectic World of the Harp

Harpist Melissa Gallant will discuss and demonstrate the many sound possibilities of the instrument, with examples including beautiful Celtic melodies and French Romantic solos. She will share stories behind the pieces and describe the life of a professional harpist, today and in the past.

About the Presenter
Melissa Gallant fell in love with the harp at age 13 and has been playing it for audiences young and old ever since. She studied with world-renowned harpist Susann McDonald at Indiana University, then pursued a master’s degree at Butler University. She performs regularly with the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra and the Indiana Wind Symphony, and she has partnered on educational programs with organizations such as Arts for Learning, Classical Music Indy, the LSO and the Center for the Performing Arts, visiting schools, preschools, libraries and cultural and community centers throughout Indiana. She received a 2003 Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship from the Arts Council of Indianapolis and was the first harpist to perform on the Palladium stage in 2010.