Colleen Potter Thorburn

My clients for weddings and special events can expect the highest degree of professionalism and a personable disposition, in addition to high-quality, expertly-performed harp music that will make their event truly special.

Clients are guaranteed prompt and friendly communication with me by phone, email or Skype, with the possibility of a face-to-face consultation for clients desiring to visit my home studio in Petersburg.

I work with clients as far in advance of their event as possible to consider their musical requests, locate and learn new repertoire, send sound samples, and/or suggest musical selections--all with the goal of creating a customized musical program according to the client's needs.

For weddings, I draw from my professional experience to advise clients on appropriate places in the ceremony for music and typical duration, number, and types of musical selections.

The day of the event, I arrive at least a half-hour before I need to begin playing so I can tune, set up, and check in with the venue or event planner.

I have never been late to an event!

Colleen is a professional harpist who has been providing high-quality live harp music for concerts and special events for 25 years. She plays regularly for wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours, wedding receptions and parties, and corporate and special events.

Colleen offers her clients a broad repertoire base, ranging from wedding standards like Canon in D to popular songs and show-stopping virtuoso harp masterpieces. She is comfortable making musical recommendations for a variety of musical tastes and encourages her clients to make unique and meaningful musical requests.

A nationally-recognized soloist, Colleen has performed in diverse settings with celebrated artists, ranging from the Yale Philharmonia in Carnegie Hall, the Philadelphia Orchestra in the Kimmel Center, and the Aspen Chamber Symphony with Joshua Bell at the Aspen Music Festival, to playing back-up harp for Kanye West's Chicago-area shows and in the orchestra for Common's show in Richmond, Virginia with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Colleen is new to central Arkansas by way of Virginia, where she performed regularly with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Symphony and taught harp at Virginia Commonwealth University. She looks forward to getting to know venues, clients, and fellow musicians and vendors in Conway and Little Rock!

I travel with my harp, bench, and music stand -- those are usually all that is needed to put on an event featuring the harp! My pedal harp is acoustic and projects excellently in most indoor spaces with no additional amplification necessary. Clients are welcome to provide their own amplification if they believe it is necessary.

I am able to perform outdoor events, but only if the following conditions are met so that the harp will be safe from harm:

-Ideal conditions for outdoor performance are in 60 to 80 degrees (F) weather with 40 to 60% humidity.

-The harp must be provided a dry, level surface or platform with enough shade so that the harp is not in direct sunlight.

-An additional outdoor deposit may be requested to guarantee against damage.

-All clients are advised to have a backup, indoor plan in the event of inclement weather.