Harp Spectrum

Author Biography

GRÁINNE YEATS, was born in Dublin, Ireland, and was raised bilingually in Irish and English. She has always combined a deep interest in traditional music and songs with a corresponding interest in classical music. At the same time as she was studying piano, voice and harp at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin, she was learning traditional songs from the Irish-speaking (Gaeltacht) areas, and acquired what has become a very large repertoire of traditional songs and music.

She has a particular interest in the wire-strung harp, and has written extensively about its history and music. She was the first professional musician to revive and record this ancient traditional instrument. She has done extensive research on the Irish harpers, and has recorded some 40 of their songs and harp solos on a double CD (Gael Linn, CEF CD 156), using both wire and gut harps. Among her other publications she wrote entries on Carolan and other Irish harpers in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and her book The Harp of Ireland contains much material about them. Gráinne Yeats has retired from her international concert career, but still teaches in workshops, master classes, courses and festivals. She is married to Michael Yeats and they live mainly in Dublin.

Ms. Yeats can be reached at:

Cliff House, Rockfort Avenue
Dalkey County, Dublin
Ireland

email: mbyeats@hotmail.com

Back to article