Hip Harpist Deborah Henson-Conant Defies Categorization and Transforms Ancient Instrument

Hip Harpist Deborah Henson-Conant Defies Categorization and Transforms Ancient Instrument

Grammy-Nominated Performer On-Stage and in PBS Special in 2007

BOSTON, May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- She strides on stage with the energy of a rock star and pulls a soulful, electrifying power-chord from her harp.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070503/NYFNSC04 )

If you think the harp isn't "that" kind of instrument, it WASN'T until Deborah Henson-Conant got her hands on it - literally - and convinced European builders to invent a harp she could strap on like an electric guitar.

Now she takes center stage, her multi-colored braids flying, and plays in styles from Flamenco to Blues, with a musical-theatre-style singing voice and a narrative of storytelling and humor.

The result: one-woman shows that blur the line between musical performance and theatrical event.

"The transformation of my harp is a metaphor for what happens when we break personal stereotypes and authentically express who we are," says Henson-Conant. "That's what I try to do in every show."

In her latest work - the DVD, CD and TV special "Invention & Alchemy" - Henson-Conant collaborates with an 80-piece orchestra, reinventing the interplay of soloist and symphony into a more interactive and theatrical format she dubs "symphonic music theatre."

"I wanted to use all the power and the beauty of a full orchestra as an entrance to personal experience," says Henson-Conant, who wrote all the songs, stories and orchestrations.

The project continues to win awards, from a Grammy Nomination to first prize in the International Songwriting Competition, and is appearing on PBS stations nationwide. The DVD and CD versions can be purchased online at http://www.inventionandalchemy.com/.

Described as a "combination of Leonard Bernstein, Steven Tyler and Xena the Warrior Princess" by the Boston Globe, Henson-Conant has opened for Ray Charles, been featured at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, played the 17,000-seat Bercy stadium in Paris, won awards from NEA and "Meet the Composer" and been featured on shows from NBC's "Today" to NPR's "Weekend Edition."

Henson-Conant's upcoming performances include solo shows in Boston and NYC, and orchestral shows in NY State and Florida. Her recent Science-Meets-Music series debuted at the Cambridge Science Festival.

For more on Deborah Henson-Conant or to purchase her music, visit http://www.hipharp.com/.

Editors: Hi-res photos and press materials at http://www.hipharp.com/publicity.html

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Photo: NewsCom:

http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070503/NYFNSC04
AP Archive:

http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
Source: Henson-Conant

CONTACT: Michael Belcher, +1-781-483-3556, publicity@hipharp.com, for
Henson-Conant

Web site:

http://www.hipharp.com/
http://www.inventionandalchemy.com/

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