Wendy Kerner
- Wilton, CT
- Harpist
- 47 Verified Bookings
Robin C. said “Wendy is a true professional and her music was beautiful! We couldn’t have been more pleased. Thank you!!”
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An Experienced Wedding and Event Harpist for over 40 years, I truly understand the importance of your Special Day. I welcome Traditional, Interfaith, LGBTQ+, Renewal Ceremonies, and Last-Minute events. My repertoire includes a wide range of music, and I am always adding new titles. Covering Glens Falls, Lake George, Saratoga Springs, Capital Region, Adirondacks, and western Vermont. Willing to travel elsewhere, too. Please inquire.
I'm currently booking events on my Celtic Harp. It's a smaller instrument, but has a beautiful, full sound, and can even be amplified if need be. Wide repertoire of music . . . Standards, classical, religious, pop, holidays, Disney, movies, etc.
Miriam was a joy to have as a part of our special day! Excellent communication from the beginning, professional, and wow, she is SO talented on the harp. Do not hesitate to book Miriam for your own event! She is just wonderful!
Response from Harpist-Miriam Shilling:
Thank you, Adrienne. It was such a pleasure to play for your lovely wedding.
She showed up early and the music was so beautiful. All the guests enjoy it. Will use her again for next party.😊
Response from Harpist-Miriam Shilling:
Thank you so much, Josephine!
Miriam was an absolute joy to have at my moms services. She filled the gaps in between people speaking and when they first started to arrive at the celebration of life for my mom. The sound from her harp and playing such beautiful music carried very well in the area we held the services. I definitely recommend her if you are thinking of hiring a harpist. She's amazing!
Response from Harpist-Miriam Shilling:
Thank you, Anna. It was a pleasure meeting you and your family, and hearing about your mom's interesting life! :-)
Mirium Shilling played her Concert Harp at my mother’s 90th Birthday Party at the 4 Hills Country Club and All of our guests were enthralled with her music. Thank You!!!
Miriam was absolutely wonderful. We had an outside ceremony and an indoor reception which she played at both locations. The music on the harp was so beautiful and all our guests loved it.
Response from Harpist-Miriam Shilling:
Thank you, Richard. It was my pleasure to play in such gorgeous venues and to meet your lovely family and friends.
Price Range: $300-$550+
Gig Length: 30 - 120 minutes
Languages: English
My repertoire includes a wide variety of music types. Given enough advance notice, I am also willing to learn new music for your event.
Once you book me, we will be in touch via email, phone, text, or video call. While you may trust my experience to choose the music which will work nicely for your event, it is important to me that I am playing the music you wish to hear. Your event is so special to you; I want you to feel comfortable with the service I provide.
The day of your event, I will arrive early, giving myself at least 30 minutes to find parking and set up my harp. If I am playing harp for your ceremony, included in my fee are a few minutes of music immediately prior, while your guests arrive and seat. If you would like me to play longer, please ask. Some venues offer a hospitality hour before the ceremony begins, to accommodate early arrivals.
As always, I am open to discussion and suggestions, so never be afraid to ask questions or address concerns. Thank you for your interest!
I began private lessons with Jeanne Goldstein in 1978. I played harp with my high school orchestra, as well as with the Long Island Youth Orchestra, spending two summers with the group touring Scandinavia and Southeast Asia. Also while in high school, I played harp for two years with the All-State orchestra in northern New York, and for one year with the All-Eastern orchestra in Baltimore, Maryland. I continued on to college, attending the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam as a Performance major, studying harp with Arlene Wangler.
I've lived the past eight years in northern New Mexico, but have now returned to New York, having missed the verdant mountains and lakes of the Adirondacks.
I continue to play my Celtic harp for weddings and parties, church services, restaurants, and recitals throughout central New York and Adirondacks, the Capital Region, western Vermont, and elsewhere on request.
I arrive early, always allowing at least 30 minutes to set up and tune.
I require an area roughly 4 feet by 6 feet for my harp, music stand, and bench. For most situations, you need provide no equipment for me. I bring my own music stand, bench, and light for my stand.
IF YOUR EVENT IS OUTDOORS: (1) the area where I set up needs to be flat, dry, and level, (2) if the harp is to be set up on a lawn, the grass must be dry, (3) In the summer months, I should not have to set up in direct sunlight. It is not beneficial to the health of my harp, and (4) I will move my harp indoors at the first drop of rain. The harp is an expensive instrument which can stand no precipitation of any sort.
BEACH/LAKESIDE/RIVERSIDE weddings must be pre-approved by me before booking and so stated on your contract. No last-minute changes to a beach or sand venue will be allowed. I retain the right to refuse to set up my harp, with no refund of deposit, and balance still due in full. If a beach wedding has been agreed upon before booking, the harp cannot rest directly on sand, gravel, or other such uneven surfaces. Unless your venue provides a level, stable platform, you, as the client, must provide on a level part of the beach a clean, dry board – measuring at least one inch thick, four feet wide, and six feet long – for the harp, my music stand, and my bench, for the entire time I am hired to play. Otherwise, I will refuse to set up my harp. Your balance will still be due in full, with no refund of your deposit.
Please be considerate of the environment where you wish the harp to set up and play. A harp is a delicate instrument which does best in a dry, shaded area on a level, stable surface. Extreme cold, heat, and wind can be detrimental to the harp and the harpist. Think about whether or not YOU would like to sit in a particular condition for an hour or more. I, certainly, will agree to play when conditions are not ideal - there are many things you can do to turn a less-than-ideal setting into a better one (I know how beautiful any outdoor wedding can be!) - but awareness of these limitations will go a long way towards making this the best experience for us both. Please ask if you've any concerns regarding a particular location.
I have yet to miss a booked event for any reason in all my years of playing. But, should some serious illness or accident occur which prevents me from fulfilling the terms of my contract, I will do my very best to find another harpist or instrumentalist who will fill in for me at the last minute. You will then pay this musician the balance due, and I will give her the deposit you sent with your contract. If no other musician is available, I will return your deposit to you. I offer no other recourse. You may wish to discuss emergency situations with your DJ or band, who would most likely be able to provide last-minute music.
Please feel free to ask if you've any questions or concerns regarding the above information.
This is merely a sampling of my vast and ever-growing repertoire. Please ask if you would like me to play something which is not on this list, as I probably already know it. If I do not, keeping in mind that some music just will not sound good on a harp, I most likely can learn it for your event. A large part of my repertoire are songs I loved so much after learning them for other events, I couldn't bear to stop playing them!
HARP MUSIC LIST - TO BE UPDATED SOON (stay tuned!)
(a sampling of my wedding repertoire)
Bridal March (Wagner)
Wedding March (Mendelssohn)
Canon in D (Pachelbel)
The Prince of Denmark’s March/Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke)
Trumpet Tune (Clarke)
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (Bach)
Ode to Joy (Beethoven)
Ave Maria (Schubert)
Lots of traditional Irish music
Many Standards and show tunes
Lots of Beatles music
Disney tunes from the 30's up to the present
Movie music
My mom, a fine musician in her own right and my first musical influence. Ray Pool, who introduced me to the joys of Standards and pop music. Jeanne Goldstein, my first harp teacher and Broadway harpist, who taught me the importance of not only playing well, but of attitude, appearance, and presentation. And, Bill Holland, like no one else in the world.
A space no less than 4 feet by 6 feet for my harp, bench, and music stand.
I would prefer to set up within 20 feet of a power outlet for indoor events, for outdoor events near the end of the day, or during any low-light situation.
A platform no less than 1 inch thick, 4 feet wide, and 6 feet long must be provided if I am to set up my harp on the beach and/or sand, or other such loose, uneven surfaces.
Robin C. said “Wendy is a true professional and her music was beautiful! We couldn’t have been more pleased. Thank you!!”
Mary R. said “Erin went above our expectations. She honored song requests and sang and played them. She was amazing! We fully enjoyed her music and looking forward…”
Andi said “Melody was great to work with! She is an inspiration. Very talented and warm in spirit. I highly recommend her!”
Peter H. said “Vartan and his quartet were phenomenal! They provided a huge list of classical and modern songs they already knew, and also learned new ones for our wedding.…”