Santa Cruz Harp Festival
Sunday, April 26, 2026
Every year, Community Music School presents a concert that features music from throughout the world on harps of all kinds. Our featured harpist for 2026 is Rachel Hair, a wonderful folk harpist from Scotland. Other harpists include Jennifer Cass, Jazz LeiAmora, Sarah Newman, Shelley Phillips, and Midyne Spear, as well as the all-ages Community Music School Harp Orchestra. A harp “petting zoo” is available during intermission for the harp-curious.
Doors open at 1:30pm; the concert starts at 2:00pm. Tickets for adults are $15 in advance, or $20 at the door. College students with valid ID get in for $10, and kids under 18 are free.
2026 Harp Festival Performers
Widely regarded as one of the world’s finest exponents of Scottish Harp (clarsach) playing, Rachel is a prominent performer in the Traditional Music scene and having toured extensively throughout Europe, the US and beyond, she has released 5 critically acclaimed albums. Songlines calls Rachel Hair “one of the UK’s finest contemporary Celtic harpists and tunesmiths.”
Jennifer Cass is the premier classical harpist in the greater Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay area. Jennifer is an accomplished performer and highly regarded instructor; she has performed frequently with UCSC and Cabrillo ensembles, Santa Cruz New Music Works, Santa Cruz Chamber Players, and has been a featured soloist with Ensemble Monterey.
Shelley Phillips has a Masters of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She plays and tours with The Anjali Quartet and The Coulter/Phillips Ensemble, performs as a duo with her husband, Barry Phillips, sings Shape Note music, and has collaborated with Rumi translator and poet Coleman Barks making two albums of poetry and music. Shelley has appeared on more than 20 albums on the Gourd music label, including her solo albums The Fairie Round, Pavane, The Butterfly, and The Wood Between the Worlds, as well as a duet album with Barry called Wondrous Love. She also has recorded music of the Shakers and produced a benefit album, Verdant Groves, for the Shaker village museums. In addition she teaches at several other summer programs, including founding the Boxwood Flute Festival’s children’s, teens’ and seniors’ programs in Nova Scotia and teaching music related crafts at various primitive skills gatherings in the west.
The Community Music School All-Ages Harp Ensemble!
Jazz LeiAmora is a distinguished sound healing facilitator, multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter known for her genre, Sacred Soul Medicine Music, which fuses soul, R&B, jazz, and more. Her enchanting voice creates a captivating, inspiring and meditative experience. Based in Santa Cruz, Jazz has been devoted to the medicine path for 10+ years, dedicating significant time to collaborating with and supporting indigenous communities from South America.
Sarah Newman is a multi-instrumentalist with over 10 years music teaching experience with all ages. She started alto saxophone at age eight and currently plays and teaches on all saxophones, harp, piano, vocals, ukulele, and rainbow hand bell choir groups at Be Natural Music. While her experience with playing harp only started nine years ago, she is very passionate about sharing the joys of playing harp and finds it a very natural instrument to play – and the most inspiring for song writing with individuals and groups. Sarah teaches private lessons on folk harp, and enjoys inspiring song writing and improvisation with all ages. She teaches several harp and singing groups at Be Natural Music in both Santa Cruz and Cupertino.
Midyne Spear’s warm voice and mature, reflective songwriting are both sonically rich and thought-provoking. Her ability to blend folk, jazz, blues, and pop, along with her intricate finger work on lever harp, creates a unique listening experience that is simultaneously intimate and expansive.