Music
Press
On Notes on the Moon CD:
“D'abord, la harpe est un merveilleux instrument. Elle amplifie la sensibilité de certaines oeuvres. Megan joue Debussy, Van Morrison, Schubert, Beethoven, Sting.... avec sa délicatesse, sa passion, son humanité, quelquefois une envie de swinguer. La lune qu'elle a choisie comme thème n'est plus froide. Elle est source de lumières, de beautés, de tendresse.... Merci Megan de nous faire voyager parmi les étoiles." Jean Paul Mounier, friend and fan, Cabris, France, 30 January, 2008. - (friend and music critic) Jean Paul Mounier
“It is always a delight to have Megan play within our special worship services. She is a skilled harpist whose artistic heart comes through in her performance. Over the years she has added a special touch to some of our most celebrated services. We look forward to her participating with us again!” Eric Dalrymple, Worship Pastor, Shiloh Community Church, Phoenix, Arizona, 2 December, 2007 - (Music director) Eric Dalrymple, Shiloh Community Church, Phoenix, Arizona
"Megan, your performance raised the quality of our program significantly and gave me hope for its future. People who were present continued to speak of the evening long after the concert. And those who have learned of your return this year are equally excited at the prospect of a repeat performance. It has been a pleasure working with you, and I hope we can look forward to many more evenings of Stars and Music at Kitt Peak.” Robert T. Wilson, Program Coordinator for Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, Arizona, June 16, 2007 - (Program Coordinator) Robert T. Wilson, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona
"The way Megan interacted with the audience was truly amazing. With a few words about the background of the contemporary pieces and about details of the harp, she literally opened the ears of the listeners. What she gave was not only skillful playing, but an invitation into the world of harp music. After the concert, an unusual number of people were waiting to see the instrument and express their excitement about the concert experience. Megan Metheney definitely brought harp music close to a packed concert hall that night. This attitude is very rare among musicians!" Fruzsina Kovács, program coordinator of the Crescendo Summer Institute, organizer of the Budapest, Hungary concert, May 18, 2007 - Event Coordinator, Fruzsina Kovács
“…tres reposantes notes de musique s’éhappaient de la harpe…” Le Cannois, Cannes, France, 4 October, 2006 - Le Cannois (French newspaper)
Discography
"Notes on the Moon" solo Classical and folk harp music, released 2007.
"Concert a Quatre" harp ensemble recording in collaboration with Harpe Riviera Quatuor in Nice, France, released 2007.
Photos
Bio
Megan Metheney is from Arizona. Coming from a classical training but always tending to push the envelope, she has taken the instrument of the harp and truly created a sound and style of her own, making her music authentic and meaningful. Some have described her playing as a mix of jazz, folk, and Classical-Romantic. Having performed throughout Europe and the USA, Megan continues to tour both solo and with other musicians in a wide range of venues and for various musical projects. She has molded an inspiring career for herself not only in playing, but teaching, arranging, writing about, and composing for the harp.
Her debut album, Notes on the Moon, was released in 2007, quickly gaining popularity around the globe. It sounds like "harp music in combo platter fashion," all with the moon in mind. Notes on the Moon is a collection of music that wasn't necessarily intended for harp solo, from Police's Walking on the Moon to Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata to Van Morrison's Moondance. The only thing that unites each track is the word "moon" in its title. This album presents the world premiere of American composer Douglas Gibson's latest work for solo harp: "In the Shadow of the Moonlight."
Concert a Quatre, a harp ensemble recording project with Harpe Riveria Quatuor, was released the same year in France. This album showcases arrangements and compositions specifically dedicated to Elizabeth Fontan-Binoche for her quartet of harps."
Megan holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Arizona where she studied harp with renowned jazz harpist Carrol McLaughlin. She gained a Master of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin under harpist Delaine Fedson. As part of a long time dream to study under French harp virtuoso Elizabeth Fontan-Binoche, Megan spent two years working with her in Nice, France, at the same time gaining a Premiere Prix in harp from the music conservatory in Grasse, France. She currently lives in Texas where is she the director of Ector County Independent School District's renowned harp program in addition to Odessa College.
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