Occupation(s) musician Role Harpist · hipharp.com Name Deborah Henson-Conant | Years active 1985 - present | |
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Instruments harp, electric harp, voice Website Official websiteDeborah Henson-Conant on FacebookDeborah Henson-Conant on Twitter Albums The Celtic Album, Budapest, The Gift, Live Wires Similar People Livingston Taylor, Chieli Minucci, Mark Egan, George Jinda, Victor Bailey | ||
Associated acts Story of Light Band | ||
Deborah Henson Conant Band The Phoenix
Deborah Henson-Conant (born November 11, 1953 in Stockton, California) is an American harpist and composer. Nicknamed "the Hip Harpist", she is known for her flamboyant stage presence and her innovation with electric harps.
Contents
- Deborah Henson Conant Band The Phoenix
- Deborah henson conant demo
- Career
- Albums
- Compilation appearances
- Videography
- Reception
- Instruments
- References
Deborah henson conant demo
Career
Deborah Henson-Conant describes her music as "cross-genre: jazz-pop-comedy-folk-blues-flamenco-celtic". Deborah performs one-person shows in theaters, concert halls and festivals; and she does original music and theatre shows with symphony orchestras. Her performances mix music with theatrical and story elements. She orchestrates all her own music when she plays with symphony and often engages symphonic musicians in unexpected ways. She states that her career objectives include a desire to reevaluate misconceptions and underestimations of the harp instrument, of the stage medium, and of the self.
The soundtrack of her 2006 DVD Invention & Alchemy, received a Grammy nomination, and the video version began broadcast on American public television in 2007. Her performance series Inviting Invention (2006) presents a series of "performance explorations" that includes both musical and non-musical guests collaborating onstage with Henson-Conant.
In 2012, she joined Steve Vai's band for his 2012 tour and album, The Story of Light. In October 2013, Henson-Conant performed and represented the United States at the 7th annual World Harp Festival, in Asunción, Paraguay.
As you know, a lot of my music is compositional, and there's a lot of arpeggiated guitar parts. They work really well on the harp, especially since it's an electric harp and you can process it. Deborah does a really great job with that, adding those textures. ... I've studied it very precisely. I can't play it, but I understand it. What Deborah has is a little different because she has a strap-on harp with a particular range. ... There's a new kind of challenge.
Albums
Compilation appearances
Videography
Reception
The soundtrack of her 2006 DVD Invention & Alchemy, received a Grammy nomination. The Daily News Online said that she has a "harp show like none other", featuring her "big, brassy voice".
Instruments
Henson-Conant plays electric harps of various kinds, but primarily plays Camac Harps. The Camac DHC Light Blue electric harp was named after her.