New York Harp Ensemble
| Company type | Classical music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music performance |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Aristid von Würtzler, Barbara Pniewska |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Aristid von Würtzler, Barbara Pniewska |
| Products | Concert performances, recordings (LPs, CDs) |
New York Harp Ensemble (NYHE), a classical music group established by harpists Aristid von Würtzler and Barbara Pniewska, was active from 1969 until 1997.
Background
Aristid von Würtzler relocated from Hungary to the United States in 1956. After performing with orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra between 1958 and 1961, he embarked on a solo career but encountered difficulties gaining visibility on American television as a male harpist. Motivated by Mireille Flour’s Belgian ensemble, he created his own harp group to deliver more vibrant and visually engaging performances while minimizing internal competition.
In 1969, during a harp competition in Geneva, Würtzler met Barbara Pniewska, a harpist from Poland with a musical upbringing. He extended a scholarship offer to her at the University of Hartford, where he was teaching. Barbara had graduated from the Academy of Music in Warsaw in 1964 and had transitioned from piano to harp early in her musical training.
History
Throughout its 28-year existence, NYHE gave thousands of concerts across over 60 nations and made multiple recordings for television, radio, and LPs/CDs. Alongside the founding duo, the ensemble featured two rotating members including Sandra Bittermann, Pattee Cohen, and Monika Jarecki, many of whom went on to become distinguished harpists and educators.
Würtzler was deeply involved in the American harp scene and participated as a juror in international competitions. The ensemble commissioned compositions from celebrated figures such as Leonard Bernstein and Karlheinz Stockhausen, focusing particularly on works by Polish and Hungarian composers like Franz Liszt, Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, and György Ligeti, as well as pieces reflecting the cultures of their host countries. Their repertoire encompassed nearly two hundred works spanning from Baroque to contemporary styles by composers including Marcel Tournier, Carlos Salzedo, and Marcel Grandjany. They offered three unique programs tailored to different audiences and were among the first to present crossover performances combining classical music with jazz and theatrical elements.
The group performed at the White House on five occasions during the administrations of Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Their appearances also included a concert for Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in 1985 and performances at presidential residences in Bogotá (1977), Honduras, and the Philippines (1979).
Beginning in the mid-1980s, NYHE frequently toured Hungary with successful concerts in cities such as Szombathely, Sopron, Kőszeg, and at the Budapest Congress Center. In 1985, Hungaroton released their earlier Baroque recording made in New York; later recordings featured collaborations with artists like Éva Marton.
Touring often presented difficulties; for example, South American humidity sometimes impaired harp sound quality. Würtzler managed various aspects including program selection, costumes, promotion, and media engagement while recognizing Barbara’s crucial contributions to organizational tasks and transcription work behind the scenes.
Following Würtzler’s passing in 1997, the ensemble disbanded.
Compositions for New York Harp Ensemble
- Leonard Bernstein (USA): Chorale and Meditation
- Gianopaulo Chiti (Italy): Breakers
- Paul Creston (USA): Olympia Rhapsody for Harp
- Jean-Michel Damase (France): Concertino
- Norman Dello Joio (USA): Bagatella
- Zsolt Durkó (Hungary): Serenata Per Quatro Arpas
- Nicolas Flagello (USA): Arismo II for 4 Harps, Island of Mysterious Bells
- Jan Hanus (Czechoslovakia): Introduzione E Toccata
- Frigyes Hidas (Hungary): Hungarian Melodies
- Alan Hovhaness – Stuart Colidge (USA): Spirituals in Sunshine and Shadow
- Lucrecia R. Kasilag (Philippines): Diversions II for 4 Harps
- György Ligeti (Hungary/Germany): Continuum
- Ami Maayani (Israel): Arabesque for 4 Harps
- Mikhail Mchedelov (Soviet Union): Song Procession for 4 Harps and Drum
- Sergio Montori (Italy): Iron Garden
- Ahmed Adnan Saygun (Turkey): Three Preludes for Four Harps; Three Melodies for Four Harps
- Tibor Serly (Hungary/USA): Canonic Prelude for 4 Harps
- Toru Takemitsu (Japan): Wavelength
- Lin Wha (China): Amid Flowers Beside the River
- Josef Wiłkomirski (Poland): Concerto for Four Harps
Discography
- New York Harps Ensemble / CRS 4130 Golden Crest Quadrophonic
- New York Harp Ensemble / CRS 4121 Golden Crest Quadrophonic
- 18th Century Concertos and Strings, Musical Heritage Society 3320
- 18th Century Concertos Stereo Cassette MHC 5320
- XVIII Century Music for Harp Ensemble MHS 3239
- XVIII Century Stereo Cassette MHC 5239
- Contemporary Compositions for Harp Ensemble MHS 1184
- Contemporary Stereo Cassette MHC 2100
- Contemporary Music for Harp and Strings MHS 3370 (Soloist: von Würtzler)
- American Cavalcade MHS 3307
- Romantic Pieces for Harp Ensemble and Solo Harp MHS 3611 (Soloist: von Würtzler)
- Romantic Music Stereo Cassette MHC 5611
- Musical Memories, Volume I. MHS 3670 / Stereo Cassette MHC 5670
- Christmas with the New York Harp Ensemble MHS 3483 / Stereo Cassette MHC 5483 (Soloist: von Würtzler)
- An Evening with the New York Harp Ensemble MHS 3890 (Soloist: von Würtzler)
- Musical Memories, Volume II. MHS 4259 / Stereo Cassette MHC 6259 (Soloist: von Würtzler)
- Rhapsody for Harp and Orchestra, MHS 4387 (Soloist: von Würtzler)
- Mostly Concertos, MHS 4260 (Soloist: von Würtzler)
- The New York Harp Ensemble, Hungaroton SLPX/MK/HCD 12726 series
- A Pastorale Christmas, MusicMasters MMD/CD/MCC series including Digital-Stereo editions
- Weihnachtliche Harfenmusik with NYHE and Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Aristid von Würtzler, Orfeo Stereo-Digital S 122 841 B
- Éva Marton with the New York Ensemble, Hungaroton SLPD/MK/HDC 12939 series
- Hungaroton Highlights, 1987–88, Hungaroton HCD 1661
References
- Előd Juhász – István Kaposi Kis: Beszélő hárfa. Aristid von Würtzler. Idegenforgalmi Propaganda és Kiadó Vállalat, Budapest, 1990.
Additional sources
- Litster, Elaine Pack. "The Formation of the New York Harp Ensemble." American Harp Journal, American Harp Society, vol. 21, no. 1, June 22, 2007, pp. 23–29.
- Swanson, Carl (Summer 2002). "Touring with The New York Harp Ensemble." Journal of the American Harp Society, vol. 18, no. 3.
- "Harp Concert: New York Quartet." The New York Times, October 14, 1983.
- "Harp Group Scheduled at Saddleback." Los Angeles Times, March 13, 1987.
- Musical Heritage Society. The New York Harp Ensemble..., vol. 1, 1977, pp. 24–26.
Online resources
- Interview with Barbara von Wurtzler, Polish-American Harpist First Hungarian Harp Blog
- Obituary of Aristid von Würtzler First Hungarian Harp Blog
- Sto lat! Ewa Jaslar and the tenth anniversary of the Polish Harp Society harpblog.info