Thérèse Hurley, PhD Harpist from Collingswood, NJ

Thérèse Hurley recently returned to her hometown of Collingswood after spending several years in Oregon where she performed with the Eugene Symphony and Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra. Her classical training includes a Bachelor of Music and Graduate Performance Diploma both in Harp Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University where she studied with Ruth K. Inglefield. She continued her studies with a double master's degree in Harp Performance and Music History from Temple University where she studied with Elizabeth Hainen, principal harpist with the Philadelphia Orchestra. She also holds a PhD in Music History and Historical Performance Practice from the University of Oregon. An experienced orchestral and solo harpist, Thérèse has performed with Symphony in C, Delaware Symphony, The Garden State Philharmonic, and Newark Symphony. While an undergraduate, she performed at Les Rencontrès Musicales d'Évian under the direction of Mstislav Rostropovich. As a soloist, she performed at Caesar's Casino in Atlantic City for two years and has provided music for numerous private engagements such as weddings, corporate parties, cocktail parties, bar mitzvahs, and funerals. Although classically trained, Thérèse tailors the music to the event so whether you would like a Bach Adagio, an Irish air, or even The Grateful Dead, she will provide the perfect music for the day. As an instructor, Thérèse has been on the faculty of the Peabody Preparatory and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She enjoys teaching students of all ages and levels from beginner through advanced. Her outstanding performance in teaching was recognized out of a pool of over 1,300 graduate student teachers with the Donald and Darel Stein Graduate Student Teaching Award from the University of Oregon. When not performing or teaching, Thérèse enjoys helping customers find their dream harp at the Virginia Harp Center in Haddonfield, New Jersey.