Brazilian Jazz Harp Immersion: July 19-29, 2018 

Cristina Braga (CristinaBraga.com)

Showing the world a harp with Brazilian soul

Cristina is considered one of the most important harpists of Brazil, and has been to a large extent responsible for showing the world a harp with Brazilian soul, spreading out the possibilities of her instrument in Brazilian music.

Cristina Braga is the world’s foremost Bossa Nova harpist, and a gifted and passionate Latin Jazz singer. She is the source of the JazzHarp.org Latin Jazz programme, teaching Bossa Nova and Samba, and introducing us to earlier Brazilian music traditions as well.

Cristina is also the incredibly kind and generous host of the Brazilian Jazz Harp Immersion and has created & directed four editions of the Festival Vale do Café in the mountains of the beautiful historic region of the coffee plantations of Rio de Janeiro.

Kurt Schwab

Jazz Eclectic with a Commitment to Education

Kurt is the International Jazz Harp Foundation’s ‘in house’ education professional and responsible for the Jazz Harp Academy’s Intensive Course curriculum.

He plays swing music, contemporary compositions, and hard bop on all types of saxophones, both as a side man and a band leader.

Kurt brings a very important ‘outside view’ to the harp-centric world of jazz-harping. He is a living jazz encyclopedia, a passionate educator, and one of the most harp-knowledgeable non-harpists out there.

He plays in many bands of different sizes and stature, both as a leader or side-man.   Currently, Kurt is focusing on 1930’s swing music, performing contemporary compositions, and shows involving authentic Caribbean music.  So how’s that for a Jazz Eclectic?

Park Stickney (HarpLab.net)

World’s Greatest Living Jazz Harpist

While attempting to live simultaneously in Brooklyn and on a farm in Switzerland, jazz harpist Park Stickney is constantly in motion, giving concerts throughout Europe and the U.S., solo, or with his various projects. He’s performed and taught in nearly every harp festival that exists.

Park Stickney is widely considered the world’s greatest living jazz harpist  – and also a very specialized jazz harp teacher. Apart from his incredible virtuosity, ingenious musical approach, and brilliant ability to improvise.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: Park has had this ability at least since he was 11, when I first met him at a harp contest where we were both competing. I was a decade older than Park and beat him out by only one degree – and that was the last time in our long history together that that ever happened. I noticed at the time that Park had immense ears — little did I know just how aptly that described Park’s massive ability to hear!).

Park has a wealth of teaching experience to offer including many well thought-out techniques for applying jazz to the harp.

One of my (DHC’s) favorite quotes about studying with Park is: “Studying with Park Stickney is a fun and unforgettable challenge.”

Deborah Henson-Conant (HipHarp.com)

Her shows, her life, her instrument, her teaching and her music are all about transformation 

Deborah Henson-Conant is an iconic performer and composer, continually inspiring harpists worldwide as she breaks through the traditional boundaries of the instrument and the way it is used.

A GRAMMY©-Nominated recording artist, and a jazz harp pioneer, she uses electric harp, voice and a looper pedal to layer sounds in real time, then weaves solo lines and vocals above it.

She performs world-wide in her one-woman shows, solo concerts and as a featured soloist with symphony orchestras and chamber groups, always combining elements of storytelling, voice, movement, improv, Blues and Jazz.

As a teacher and coach, she’s known for her ability to break down complex skills and teach them using metaphor or physicalization —  and for her focus on developing personal artistic freedom.  Her online Academy, “Hip Harp Academy” offers a year-long curriculum in arrangement, improv and performance – and her mentorship program ‘Harness Your Muse’ supports creative harpists in developing creative projects for career development.
 

Ricardo Medeiros

Director of Uaná Etê, composer, arranger and jazz expert.

Ricardo is a renowned bassist and latin jazz expert, composer and arranger. He worked with many great brazilian pop stars including Zizi Possi, Bia Bedran, and Dado Villa Lobos.

He earned a Masters degree in composition from the University of London and has written numerous works for double bass, cello, harp & orchestra, and musical tracks for Brazilian films and documentaries.

Ricardo is also the musical producer of Cristina Braga’s recordings and director of Uaná Etê, the ecological music garden hosting the Brazilian Jazz Harp Immersion.