Deborah Henson-Conant (born November 11, 1953 in Stockton, California) is an American

harpist The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has a number of individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orc ...

and composer. Nicknamed "the Hip Harpist", she is known for her flamboyant stage presence and her innovation with

electric harps The electric harp is an instrument based on its acoustic original. There are both solid-body and hollow body electro-acoustic models available. True electric harps have a solid body versus a hollow body electro-acoustic harp, which can be played ...

Career

Deborah Henson-Conant describes her music as "cross-genre:

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...

-comedy-

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fol ...

- blues-

flamenco Flamenco (), in its strictest sense, is an art form based on the various folkloric music traditions of southern Spain, developed within the gitano subculture of the region of Andalusia, and also having historical presence in Extremadura an ...

- celtic". Deborah performs

one-person show A solo performance, sometimes referred to as a one-man show or one-woman show, features a single person telling a story for an audience, typically for the purpose of entertainment. This type of performance comes in many varieties, including auto ...

s in theaters, concert halls and festivals; and she does original music and theatre shows with

symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ...

s. 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 The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

nomination, and the video version began broadcast on American

public television Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...

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 Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist f ...

'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.

Discography

Albums

*''The Story of Light'' (2012) *''Invention and Alchemy'' (2006) *''Artists Proof Ltd Edition Version 2.1'' (2004) *''The Frog Princess'' (2000) *''Live Wires'' (with

Livingston Taylor Livingston Taylor (born November 21, 1950) is an American singer-songwriter and folk musician. Born in Boston and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, he is the brother of singer-songwriter James Taylor, singer-songwriter Kate Taylor, singer ...

) (2000) *''The Celtic Album'' (1998) *''Altered Ego'' (1998) *''Just for You'' (1995) *''The Gift'' (1995) *Round the Corner'' (1993) *''Naked Music'' (1994) *''Budapest'' (1992) *''Talking Hands'' (1991) *''Caught in the Act'' (1990) *''On the Rise'' (1989) *''Songs My Mother Sang'' (1985)

Compilation appearances

*''New Age Music & New Sounds Vol. 67 - "Liberty"''

Videography

*''Invention and Alchemy'' (2006)

Reception

The soundtrack of her 2006 DVD ''Invention & Alchemy'', received a

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 Camac or CAMAC may refer to: * CAMAC Energy, United States-based oil and gas company * Camac Street, Kolkata, India * Computer Automated Measurement and Control * River Camac The River Camac (sometimes spelled ''Cammock'', or, historically, ' ...

. The Camac DHC Light Blue electric harp was named after her. *Small

Rubarth Rubarth is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Amber Rubarth (born 1982), American singer-songwriter and actress *Mats Rubarth Mats Carl Rickard Rubarth (born 25 January 1977) is a Swedish musician and former footballer, who pla ...

br>"R-Harp"
(a lap harp) *

Lyon & Healy Lyon & Healy Harps, Inc. is an American musical instrument manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois and is a subsidiary of Salvi Harps. Today best known for concert harps, the company's Chicago headquarters and manufacturing facility contains a ...

br>Style 2000 Electroacoustic
* Camac Electro-acousti
Big Blue
*Cama

*Lyon & Heal

References

External links

*
Invention & Alchemy DVD & CD Project Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henson-Conant, Deborah Living people 1953 births Musicians from Stockton, California People from Arlington, Massachusetts 20th-century American composers 21st-century American composers American harpists American performance artists Writers from Stockton, California