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Parker Ramsay, solo harp

solo harp

Sunday Concert

In-person and virtual ticket reservations

Online / In-Person

Buy a Virtual Ticket

$15 for virtual tickets | $10 for members
(in-person tickets sold out)

$45 for general tickets | $25 for members
image of harpist Parker Ramsey

Harpist Parker Ramsay is bringing new energy to the harp repertoire, expanding the capability of the instrument in unexpected new ways. His latest project is a complete transcription of J.S. Bach’s iconic Goldberg Variations, a musical endeavor that has been praised as “remarkably special” by Gramophone Magazine. Ramsay balances his keen pursuits in period practice with a thirst for new music, and for his Phillips debut he presents the entire Goldberg Variations for harp, alongside the World Premiere of a new work by Marcos Balter, Omolu. Commissioned by Miller Theatre at Columbia University, Omolu expands the tuning and techniques available to the harp, creating radical new sound worlds and possibilities for the instrument.

This event will be broadcast live from the Music Room on Sunday, December 5 at 4 PM. To reserve a ticket, follow the link above to register. All registered ticket holders will receive a link directing them to a livestream webpage where the performance can be accessed. Ticket holders will be able to watch this performance “On Demand” for 48 hours following the broadcast time.

IN PERSON AUDIENCES: KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
  • Concert guests 12 years of age and over must show proof of vaccination or a same-day negative COVID-19 test.
  • Concert guests over the age of two must wear a face mask covering their nose and mouth at all times, regardless of their vaccination status.
  • The Music Room is now able to operate at 1/2 capacity. However, given the intimate nature of the setting, we can no longer follow strict social distancing guidelines. All in-person guests may be seated next to, in front of, or behind other vaccinated and masked concert guests.

Harpist Parker Ramsay’s career, unique in its integration of contemporary music and historical performance, defies easy categorization. Equally at home on modern and period harps, Parker is dedicated to invigorating the existing canon while delving into new and underperformed works. In 2020, the recording of his transcription of Bach’s Goldberg Variations for the King’s College, Cambridge label was praised as “remarkably special” (Gramophone), “nuanced and insightful” (BBC Music Magazine), “relentlessly beautiful” (WQXR), “marked by keen musical intelligence” (The Wall Street Journal) and “a resounding success” (The Independent). His essay on the transcription process, “Is Bach Better on Harp?” was published in The New York Times

A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Parker began harp studies with his mother at a young age before moving to the UK at age 16. Parker was awarded the undergraduate organ scholarship at King’s College, Cambridge where he served under the direction of Stephen Cleobury. His tenure with the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge included performing for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 2012, as well as six international tours and four recordings. Parker has performed at the Concertgebouw in (Amsterdam), the Royal Albert Hall (London), the Musée d’Orsay (Paris), the National Center for the Performing Arts in (Beijing), Sejong Center for the Performing Arts (Seoul), Verizon Hall in (Philadelphia), and Alice Tully Hall (New York City). 

Parker is co-director of A Golden Wire, a period instrument ensemble devoted to French and English music from the seventeenth century. He has appeared with the Shanghai Camerata, the Academy of Sacred Drama, Ruckus, Teatro Nuovo and Apollo’s Fire. Upcoming projects include collaborations with composers Tom Morrison, Michael Seltenreich, David Fulmer, Saad Haddad, Josh Levine, Nico Muhly and Marcos Balter.

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in history at Cambridge, he pursued graduate studies in historical keyboards at Oberlin Conservatory. In 2014, he was awarded First Prize at the Sweelinck International Organ Competition. He then studied modern harp at The Juilliard School, under the tutelage of Nancy Allen. He is a regular contributor for VAN Magazine, and his writing has appeared in Cleveland ClassicalThe New York Times and The Washington Post. He lives in New York City.

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