About Ellen:

Ellen Tepper, Celtic harpist and historian, brings life to 500 years of harp music.  Her abiding interest in early music was inspired by a childhood spent exploring ruins in Europe and by her exposure to the multi-faceted cultural life of Vienna, Austria.  She began her study of classical harp at the age of eight, and continued her studies to earn a degree in Harp Performance from the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts.

Entering the world of the Irish harp through historical sources rather than folk tradition, she has produced two recordings: Timeless Music for the Celtic Harp, and Celtic Refractions.  Her repertoire ranges from the 13th to 18th centuries, and includes the music collected in Belfast, 1792, at the gathering of the last of the Irish minstrel harpers.

As an authority on the early harp, she is in demand as a lecturer and performer.  Known for her humorous approach to historical anecdote, her History of the Harp through Iconography show is both educational and humorous.  She has served on the Board of Trustees of the Historical Harp Society, performed with PIFFARO, and has conducted workshops in English Country Dance Music for the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen.  In addition to workshops, she also teaches harp privately from her Glenside home.

Her publications include: English Country Dances, The Harper's Accomplice, Four Variations on Auld Lang Syne, and two chorals by Bach arranged for harp ensemble.  She has recorded with the neo-Celtic folk rock ensemble, Separate Reality, as well as the Voices for Children Foundation, a volunteer choir of opera singers which raises funds for pediatric AIDS.  Publications are available from Melody Music.

Ellen Tepper belongs to that rare breed of musician whose effect on an audience is one of unanimous and immediate joy and wonder.  Combining humor with harp history and anecdotes on the origin of the music, her performance is at once an intellectual pursuit and a satisfying spiritual experience.  The historical information, coupled with a sharp sense of humor, makes the ancient music that she plays instantly accessible to the modern ear.

Ellen Tepper was born in New York but spent most of her childhood in Vienna, Austria, where she began to study classical harp at the age of eight.  She graduated from the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts with a degree in harp performance.  A versatile performer, in addition to the pedal harp repertoire, she also focuses on music composed before 1800, playing it on a variety of harps, from the little Romanesque medieval harp to the Celtic harp.  Ellen has performed with the Philadelphia Renaissance Wind Band, the Historical Harp Society, and Early Music at Penn.

Ellen's performance pieces span five centuries and draw on the musical heritage of the British Isles and the European continent.  Her virtuosity is apparent not only in her technical facility, but also in her inspired adaptations of pieces not generally associated with the harp.  Traditional Celtic, Scottish, Irish Baroque, Medieval, Renaissance as well as contemporary American and improvisatory pieces can all be expected to delight an audience in the course of an evening with this exceptional performer.

Ellen conducts classes in harp performance and arranging at her studio in Glenside, Pennsylvania.  She is also on the faculty of The Piano School in Newtown, Pennsylvania, teaching harp.  She now has five recordings to offer: Timeless Music for the Celtic Harp, Celtic Refractions, Waltzes with Harps, The Space Between the Strings, and her newly released Winter Cycles.  For track listings, samples, or to buy Ellen's music, visit the discography page.