Park Stickney & Rüdiger Oppermann

Recordings Harp Summit

Photo: Park and Rudiger What happens when you put two virtuoso harpists, each of whom has changed the face of their instrument, together on the same stage? Rüdiger Oppermann and Park Stickney answer this question with their new duo.
In concert and in their CD "Harp Summit" you hear: Rüdiger Oppermann, Germany's Celtic Harp master, innovator and world-traveling ambassador of crossover harp music, meets maverick jazz harpist, Park Stickney (New York). Together, this “brotherhood of extreme harp” pushes back the limits of genre and style, blazing new musical paths into previously unharp-ed territory. Blues riffs howl over bass grooves, ornate melodies dance with a swinging ease, experimental sounds blend with jazz standards; in short, a packed punch of musicality and virtuosity on 100 strings. Park's simply unbelievable footwork liberates the harmonic potential of the electric concert harp, which meshes perfectly with Rüdiger's Celto-Bluesy solo sound. Standards like Miles Davis' "So What", Duke Ellington's "Caravan", and Sting's "Message in a Bottle" are interspersed with original pieces (such as Oppermann's "Tarantella", "Cool Harmonics" and "Fragile Balance") plus African musical bows, and ethnic and electronic sounds. Their debut concerts at the World Harp Congress in Geneva and at the Frankfurt Internationalen Harfenfestival brought standing ovations.

Now these two exceptional musicians play together regularly, bending the limits of their genres with delight, virtuosity and sensitivity. A world-class duo...an ear-opener for all those who thought the harp was dull... and a must for all friends of the harp and fans of Oppermann and Stickney. A joy for eye, soul and ear!

Rüdiger Oppermann

Rüdiger Oppermann, born in 1954, is Germany´s foremost celtic harp player. He began playing the harp in 1973 and has since virtuosically surpassed all existing standards on this instrument. His High-Headed Irish Harp or Clairséach is strung with 38 gold-plated bronze strings. With an elaborately carved column and unique mechanism on each string for the use of bending notes (as in the blues), Rüdiger has constructed an absolutely personal instrument. The technical capabilities of this harp combined with Rüdiger’s improvisational free-style have transformed the Celtic Harp into a melodic instrument full of expression and power. His transformation from celtic bard to crossover world-musician is well documented on 43 CD publications. www.rudigeroppermann.com

Park Stickney

A jazz harpist based in New York City and Geneva, Park Stickney's slick technique and maverick style have brought him awards and distinction as one of this art's forerunners. A highly-acclaimed soloist, as well as founding member of various NYC -based ensembles-- from chamber music to jazz and beyond--he is a leading exponent of the harp's diversity in various genres. Currently he is also involved in a number of projects in Europe, among which are duos with German electro-celtic harpist Rüdiger Oppermann, and Italian bassist Dino Contenti, and a visiting professorship in jazz harp at the Royal Academy of Music in London.


Contact Details Park Stickney
Europe  USA
Contact Address

3, rue de l'Orangerie
1202 Geneva
Switzerland

163 Amsterdam Ave. #153
New York City, NY 10023
USA
Phone/Fax +41 22 734 2561 (212) 969-8672
Cellphone +41 79 699 4566 (917) 855-9835
E-mail webbmail@jazzharp.com webbmail@jazzharp.com
 
Contact Details Rüdiger Oppermann
E-mail rudigeroppermann@aol.com

Booking For Bookings in Germany, Austria, and the German part of Switzerland,
please contact:

Rainer Zellner
Roots and World Music Booking
+49/(0)7073-2250
zellner@musiccontact.com
www.musiccontact.com

For Bookings anywhere else please contact Rüdiger or Park directly

park@jazzharp.com or rudigeroppermann@aol.com


Recordings Harp Summit (see also Park Stickney recordings)

External Links
www.jazzharp.com      www.rudigeroppermann.com

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This page was last updated on 13 April, 2005