Susan Ottzen
harp + light one
© 2003 Harplight Records
CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.
Swingin' Jazz harp and bass playing jazz, blues, latin and new age instrumental
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Susan is an award-winning musician and composer whose music is heard on Public Radio International. She began her musical education with piano lessons at the age of 3, encouraged by her mother, who was a professional singer.. When Susan was 8 she added the violin and at 16 the settled with the harp.
Susan played harp under world-class conductors at the Cleveland Institute of Music, which led to her position as harpist with the Atlanta Symphony and to playing in local Atlanta studios. Her extensive study of jazz led to more playing opportunities in a variety of styles and began her equally extensive experience in composing.
After leaving the Atlanta Symphony, Susan began freelancing at local Atlanta Hotels, restaurants and clubs, including Papa Pirozki's, the Woodruff Park Summer Concert Series, the High Museum of Art, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, Underground Atlanta's Labor Day Concert, the Fox Theatre, and a solo Jazz Harp Concert at North Decatur Presbyterian Church.
Jazz harpists are fairly rare, crossing over out of classical into jazz as a player is very challenging and requires alot of chops (the harp does have 7 pedals, one for every note in the scale) as well as the usual learning to improvise and solo. This harpist cooks!
The flying fingers of this accomplished harpist make for some beautiful music - enjoy!
Her harp is a Blond style 100 Lyon Healy harp built in l968. It was dropped 10 feet to a cement floor at Symphony Hall in Atlanta by Chick Corea's stage hands in 1972- she was playing with the orchestra then. It took one year to rebuild. It was dropped anonymously again at Chateau Elan in 1999 and it took 3 months to be rebuild.
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"I love the way you dig in...very creative stuff. Wonderful!"
author: Lori Andrews-harpist for Gilmore Girls, Drew Carey, Academy AwarYour CD is wonderful! Your rhythm is dead on. And you are very courageous in both tunes and playing. I really like the way you dig in.....very creative stuff. Love the choice of songs, you really did your homework. Keep up the great work