My name is Esther. Originally from France, I grew up in Germany where I started learning the harp at age 7. For this reason I can teach harp lessons in French, German or English!
I am classically trained, and teach in a range of styles: classical, jazz, improvisation, folk and more. Since I moved to New York in 2016, I trained with Brandee Younger, a Grammy award nominee harpist who teaches at NYU and at the New School, and whose harp pedagogy infuses classical, jazz, soul and funk influences into a new harp tradition pioneered by her predecessors and idols, Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Like Younger, I don’t restrict the harp to one single genre of music, encouraging my students to explore and experiment. My lessons include music theory to encourage deeper learning.
I love to guide and watch a new harp player embark on the beautiful harp journey. Remember, it’s never too early or too late to start to play the harp!
I am also a visual artist and a writer. I write short stories that I put into music for the radio and for the stage. Here is a selection of my recent projects.