Jesús Guridi
Viejo Zortzico
Sergei Prokofiev
Prelude in C Major, Op. 12, No. 7
Benjamin Britten
Suite for Harp, Op. 83
Henriette Renié
Contemplation
Rachel Brandwein
Consolation
Pensif
The Pattern Wheel: Suite for Harp Solo
Rachel Brandwein is the winner of the 2014 Mu Phi Epsilon International Solo Competition. She is under management as the Mu Phi Epsilon Concert Artist 2014-2016 and is performing throughout the United States–from Boston to San Francisco; from Portland to Denton.
Dr. Brandwein is on faculty at Luther College, College of Saint Benedict & Saint John’s University, and at Mount Calvary Academy of Music. She also teaches at the HarpArts Music Retreat and at Adult Harp Retreat, both summer harp programs for adult learners. Among her performance and composition accomplishments are first prizes and grants in numerous regional and national competitions sponsored by the American Harp Society and the American String Teachers Association, as well as Mu Phi Epsilon.
A featured soloist at the Ninth World Harp Congress in Dublin, Ireland, Dr. Brandwein also toured China with the Juilliard Orchestra. She has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the National Lutheran Choir, and VocalEssence, as well as numerous professional ensembles around the Twin Cities and around the country. In the fall of 2013, she embarked on a nine state, fifteen concert tour with Trio Matisse (flute, cello, harp) as part of the Allied Concert Services Tours, and is performing in Hong Kong with flutist Linda Chatterton in 2016. She enjoys concertizing with original and arranged works with her other duo partner, trombonist Dr. David Peterson, as the Branderson Duo. They were awarded a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board and in 2016 premiered a commissioned work by Dr. Paul Salerni as well as completed a residency at Lehigh University. The duo has performed in New York, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Michigan, Louisiana, and Nebraska.
By invitation from the American Harp Society, Dr. Brandwein performed a full recital of her compositions at the 2014 National Conference in New Orleans. She has presented her works on the Composer’s Concerts at The Juilliard School and on Stony Brook University’s Composer Concert Recital Series. In 2014, she was awarded a commission grant by the American Harp Society to write a work for Apple Orange Pair, a professional harp and horn duo; in 2015 she completed a residency as an invited composer with Apple Orange Pair at the Avaloch Farm Music Institute. In addition, her compositions have been performed at venues such as the University of Michigan, University of Indiana, University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, University of Minnesota, Kansas State University, Sacramento State University, Western Illinois University, and at Interlochen Center for the Arts where she serves on the harp faculty during the summer camp programs.
Dr. Brandwein earned degrees from the University of Michigan (BM), The Juilliard School (MM), and Stony Brook University (DMA). She also studied harp and French for one year in Paris and Lyon, France. After performing at her doctoral commencement, she was awarded the prestigious Ackerman Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies for high accomplishment in performance and pedagogy. Dr. Brandwein’s goal as a teacher is to help her students appreciate and fulfill their artistic potential with confidence, creativity, and dedication.
