Houston
Summer Harp Festival
July 2025
Celebrating 25 years!
Since 2000 we have been committed to:
Exploring the World of Harp
Bringing Young Harpists TOGETHER
Developing Skills
Fostering Musicianship
Follow us on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/houstonsummerharpfestival/
July 14 - 19, 2025
Registration opens January 2015
Register Now - Deadline - June 1
Apply for a Scholarship - Deadline - MaY 1
Ages 11-19
Lever and Pedal Harps
Location:
Houston CHRISTIAN University
Sponsored in part by
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No Auditions
We are an inclusive festival welcoming students of all levels on lever or pedal harps, ages 11 - 19.
Prerequisite: Ability to read treble and bass clef and 4 months of harp instruction. -
Scholarships
We award MULTIPLE full and partial scholarships thanks to our generous donors. In 2024, one third of our students received scholarship funds! For more info, visit our Scholarships section.
Application with video submission deadline is May 15th midnight. -
Finale Concert: July 19th, 11:00
Belin Chapel in the Morris Cultural Arts Center (MCAC) ay Houston Christian University (formerly Houston Baptist University). Free admission and open to the public.
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Harp Ensembles
Our three ensembles offer beginning, intermediate and advanced levels to accommodate our students’ varying backgrounds and abilities. This also provides intimate rehearsals in smaller groups in addition to our larger group classes.
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Workshops, Masterclasses and Lectures
Workshops vary from year to year offering variety to our returning students. Various workshops have included Classical repertoire, Historical and Celtic Harp, Orchestral Preparation, Improvisation, Career Lectures, Celtic music, Rhythm development, Famous Harpists, Latin American Harp, Marcel Grandjany and Henriette Renié presentations, Technique, Reading from Lead sheets, Wedding and Pop Music, French musical vocabulary, Stringing and Tuning, Instrument Maintenance and more!
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On Campus Housing
The beautiful campus of Houston Christian University offers housing and meals that are conveniently located near our rehearsal space. If you are interested in being a “dorm mom” contact Kimberly.
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Rental Harps Available
A limited number of lever harps and pedal harps are available to students unable to bring their own instrument. Rental harps are an additional fee and should be reserved on your application or emailing HoustonSummerHarpFestival@gmail.com no later than June 15th.
Want More information?
Go to our Learn More page for everything you need to know!
Questions? Contact: HoustonSummerHarpFestival@gmail.com or (713) 962-6923
Faculty
Kimberly snaufer DeRosa
Harpist Kimberly Snaufer DeRosa is a concert and recording artist, freelance performer, instructor, composer, arranger, presenter, adjudicator and founding director of Houston Summer Harp Festival and Harp Journeys.
She has performed in the US, Canada, and Australia, with appearances as Featured Artist/Presenter for North Colorado Harp Festival, Beauty of the Harp, Harp Journeys, the Greater Houston Chapter, North Jersey Chapter and New Orleans Chapter of the American Harp Society, AHS’s Summer Institute 2011. Ms. DeRosa is an exceptionally versatile and expressive musician. As a leading free-lance musician for over 30+ years, she remains in high demand as a soloist for recitals and social events, and as an orchestral and church performer. Her CD recordings are Zero Hour and Tidings of Joy.
A dedicated and passionate teacher, she nurtures the student’s love for music and the harp while developing self-expression and building confidence and polish in students of all ages and levels. In addition to in-person and virtual private instruction, she presents masterclasses and workshops on a variety of topics including musicality, technique and professionalism.
Kimberly is co-host of Melody’s online Harp Teacher’s Gathering and featured on Hangin’ with the Harp. She has served the American Harp Society on local, regional and national levels. Previous affiliations include Houston Baptist University, Howard Payne University and Sam Houston State University.
Ms. DeRosa completed graduate work at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto with Judy Loman and her BM at Southern Methodist University with Susan Dederich-Pejovich.
Therese Honey
Childhood Fascination with the harp blossomed into an exciting and successful career as a professional harpist for this Houston native. She is a specialist in Celtic and Early harps, with a background in classical Pedal Harp. Performing on copies of historical harps, wire-strung harps and other folk harps of ancient design, Ms. Honey draws on her vast knowledge of early music history and her stunning virtuosity to bring alive the beautiful music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque eras. Her varied solo repertoire includes classical, popular, traditional and early music.
As an ensemble musician, she performs with Texas Early Music Project (TEMP) and traditional music of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and 13th-century Medieval music as a member of Wyndnwyre. She has toured throughout the United and in Europe including a performance in 1997 at the 20th Annual Carolan Festival in Keadue Co. Roscommon, Ireland.
Ms. Honey remains in demand for lectures, concerts and festival engagements and as a clinician and adjudicator across the United States. Her workshops include topics on Medieval, Renaissance and Celtic repertoire, arranging and style, technique, and Harp Ensemble. She is a dynamic teacher who inspires and motivates her students to learn more about the harp; its technique, repertoire and history. She co-hosts Melody’s online Harp Teacher Gathering.
Her private teaching studio is located in the Houston, Tx area. She is a published arranger and a recording artist with multiple CD releases.
Hope COwan
Harpist Hope Cowan performs and teaches throughout the Houston area as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and event harpist. Active as both an orchestral and chamber musician, she is principal harpist with the Symphony of Southeast Texas and is a founding member of both the Canticle Duo and Lynx Trio. She has performed with many ensembles in Houston and beyond, including: Theater Under the Stars, ROCO, Milwaukee Symphony, MUSIQA, Monarch Chamber Players, and Mississippi Symphony. Formerly, she was Principal Harpist of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra.
As an educator, Ms. Cowan is faculty at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music and the Houston Summer Harp Festival. She is also a teaching artist for Young Audiences of Houston and an alumna of the Da Camera Young Artist program. Ms. Cowan has a thriving private harp studio in Katy where she teaches students of all ages.
A strong advocate for the local Houston harp community, she was formerly the president of the Greater Houston Chapter of the American Harp Society, and currently serves as the organization’s Webmaster. She received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Houston, and a Master of Music degree from Rice University, both under the instruction of Paula Page. www.hopecowanharp.com
Susanna Wang
Susanna Wang is a music educator and harpist based in Houston, Texas. She is on faculty at Lone Star College, teaches harp as adjunct faculty at Sam Houston State University and maintains a private harp studio in the Washington Heights area. Susanna served as principal harpist with the Central Texas Philharmonic for five seasons and has performed with the Symphony of Southeast Texas, Mobile Symphony, Density512 in Austin, Galveston Symphony, Symphony North of Houston, Houston Civic Symphony, Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra and as a soloist with the Baytown Symphony in 2019. A lover of chamber music, Susanna is a founding member of AURORA - a harp, flute, cello ensemble specializing in community concerts with diverse programming. She also enjoys performing as a soloist and exploring new and exciting music to introduce to her audiences.
Susanna is an active member of the Houston chapter of the American Harp Society and is the music ministry director at King’s Cross Church in Cypress. She was a finalist in the Anne Adams Awards, first place winner of the Mildred Milligan competition college division, first chair harpist in the Texas All-State Orchestra, and a winner of the Concerto/Aria Competition at Stephen F. Austin State University where she graduated with a master’s degree in harp performance under the instruction of Ms. Emily Mitchell.
Susanna currently resides in Houston, TX with her husband, Waiaka. She enjoys traveling, yoga, drinking coffee, reading and connecting with friends. www.harpandpiano.com