Sylvia Woods (harpist)


Sylvia Woods is an American harpist and composer perhaps best known for her role in the worldwide renaissance of the Celtic harp, or cláirseach. Woods began selling and writing music for Celtic harps in the 1970s, when the instrument was not widely known in the United States, contributing to a groundswell of interest in the Celtic harp and music. Woods was named one of the “most influential harp forces of the twentieth century” by HarpColumn magazine.

Biography

A lifelong musician, Woods began playing pedal harp in college after walking into the harp room at the University of Redlands in Southern California and asking for lessons. She continued to study pedal harp after receiving her bachelor's degree, but upon discovering and purchasing a Celtic harp, dedicated her life to making Celtic harp music available to the public. Subsequent travels around the world as a soloist and ensemble performer cemented Woods’ reputation as a formidable talent in the folk harp milieu.
Woods won the prestigious All-Ireland Harp Championship in Buncrana, County Donegal in 1980, only the second American ever to have done so. She was invited back to Buncrana the following two summers to teach a harp course for local children, borrowing harps from all over Ireland so the children would learn to play the instrument which is the symbol of their country.
Woods toured with Robin Williamson and His Merry Band in the 1970s and was featured on the group's three albums. Celtic harps were not readily available at the time, so Woods was often approached after concerts by people who were intrigued by her instrument, which she had purchased in Ireland. In response to their multiple requests, Woods started selling harps and also began developing collaborative relationships with several instrument makers, encouraging them to build harps, and providing feedback on technical issues and user-friendly features.
Woods’ relationship with harp makers, along with her work in bringing folk harp to a wider audience, led to her leadership role in the early days of the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen as the group’s first President.
Noting a lack of repertoire and resources for the folk harp, Woods began writing and arranging music specifically for folk harp in 1978. Woods’ first book, Teach Yourself to Play the Folk Harp, is perhaps the best-known tutor for lever harp, and has been the introduction to harp playing for thousands of musicians. She has since published more than three dozen books and arrangements for the Celtic harp, encompassing a wide variety of musical styles from folk to classical to pop.
Woods’ initial foray into harp sales grew into a large mail-order catalog offering products and resources for harpists worldwide; her brick-and-mortar store, the Sylvia Woods Harp Center, opened in 1992 and is believed to be the largest harp store in the world, with between fifty and 100 harps on the floor at any given time.

Recordings

Woods’ first solo recording was her original composition, The Harp of Brandiswhiere: A Suite for Celtic Harp, which has been acclaimed as an important contribution to contemporary harp literature. Through the instrumental music, Woods tells the story of the harp player Brandiswhiere, a legendary hero who saves the world with the music of his harp. The recording has won numerous awards including "Best Fantasy Album" by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, and several Popular Music Awards by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Several chapters of the American Harp Society have performed this suite as their major concert of the year. The Brandiswhiere suite has even been choreographed for dance productions in the U.S. and Europe.
Wood’s two other solo recordings, Three Harps for Christmas, Volumes 1 and 2, feature traditional Christmas carols from all over the world. These recordings have been played extensively by radio stations all over the United States during the Christmas season.
In addition to her solo albums, Woods has played on the recordings of many other prominent musicians such as Jimmy Messina, Al Stewart, Joemy Wilson, Kay Gardener, Aeoleus, Artie Traum & Pat Alger, and Caswell Carnahan.

Performances

Since 1980, Woods has toured as a solo performer, giving concerts throughout North America and Europe, as well as the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. She has given numerous performances for the American Harp Society and the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen. She has taught harp workshops and master classes, and has judged numerous harp competitions, including the Guinness World Trophy for the Celtic Harp Competition in Lorient, France.
To further promote the folk harp and her own music, Woods has appeared on many television and radio shows, including three appearances on the ever-popular radio broadcast A Prairie Home Companion, starring Garrison Keillor. Woods has been interviewed on dozens of radio stations throughout the U.S. and Great Britain, including by Studs Terkel on WFMT in Chicago. Many of Woods’ concerts have been simulcast on radio stations across America.
In January 2003 Woods performed with the legendary Irish band The Chieftains for their five California concerts.
Woods has performed on the soundtracks of several major motion pictures, including Dead Poets Society, Prancer, and Only the Lonely, under the direction of Academy Award-winning composer Maurice Jarre. In addition, Woods has performed on soundtracks for several PBS and commercial television shows.
A 1981 Los Angeles episode of Romper Room that featured Woods and her harp was nominated for an Emmy Award.

Works

Books of music for harp