Anne Sullivan, harp
Anne Sullivan began her career as a concert harpist at age 12 when she twice appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, she was a member of the music theory faculty there from 1982-2002. Currently she is the harp instructor at the University of Delaware and at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Ms. Sullivan is the author and arranger of more than two-dozen works for harp and has published a series of ear training books specifically for the harp student. She has made many of her works widely available on her website, harpmusicdownloads.com. Her dedication to the development of complete musicianship skills in her students has brought her acclaim as both a teacher and a lecturer. She recently presented her lecture “Solfège: Learning Music from the Inside Out” at the Mid-Atlantic Harp Festival in Alexandria, Va. Since 2009, she has been a Galaxy, the Arts in Education artist, presenting school programs in central Pennsylvania.
A native of the Philadelphia area, Ms. Sullivan is in demand as a recitalist, chamber musician and symphonic soloist throughout the region. Her orchestral appearances have included engagements with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; the Delaware Symphony Orchestra, where she was principal harpist; the Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra; and the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia. She has accompanied many classical and popular artists including Luciano Pavarotti, Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra and Roger Daltrey of The Who. She has been listed in Who’s Who Among Rising Young Americans and 2000 Notable American Women.
In 1986 she cofounded the flute and harp duo SPARX with flutist Joan Sparks. The duo has appeared in concert across the country and received numerous national awards, including awards from Chamber Music America and the National Flute Association. SPARX was featured in 2009 the National Flute Association national convention in New York City, performing the Sonata for Flute and Harp that they commissioned from composer Lowell Leibermann. The duo has released three CD recordings: Reflections, The Power of Two and Christmas Echoes.
Recent accomplishments include the release of her debut solo CD, Romantische, and a live concert recording Duo Parisienne with Nancy Bean, former assistant concertmaster with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She also founded the Shade Mountain Winery Chamber Music Series in Middleburg, Pa., which presents three concerts each year, and the Harp in the Mountains Summer Festival, a summer music camp for student harpists.