Star Edwards

As a soloist, Star delivers an entertaining performance that brings cultural connections, heart felt stories with passion and humorous observations of life. Steeped in the mythology of harp from the Celtic cultures, her playing recalls an ancient calling. A truly contemporary interpretation speaks through her own finely crafted original songs.

Mixing the sound of the electric harp with KingBeat's polished rock music combines the clear soulful musicianship that is bursting with power. Taking the Celtic harp out of its traditional role, Star creates a modern dance sound, that delivers energy and enthusiasm outside the box.

Star was introduced to Celtic music through playing dulcimer and found her first harp at a local thrift store - a large Venezuelan style harp in 1982. She visited Helen Hope, harpist for the Colorado Symphony, who wasn’t teaching any more but showed her a few things and studying with pedal harp teacher, Diana Carney, medieval harper, Therese Schroeder-Sheker and Celtic harper, Laurie Riley. When harper, Sylvia Woods, came to town in 1983 for a workshop, she offered to start a harp society for the community. Star was awarded the Jan Pennington award at the Stone Mountain Games in Georgia for her contribution to the harp community. In 1985, Star was on the Scottish Games committee to set up harp competitions and introduce traditional harp at the Games, also bringing harp to the early Irish Festivals starting at Sheabean Pub in Aurora Colorado.
Over the years she took workshops from Louise Trotter, Kim Robertson, Deborah Henson-Conant to expand her style. After 10 years of playing by ear, Star took up the challenge to read notation after developing a system of learning to see a logical big picture of note patterns rather than reading one note at a time.
Star is well known for her eclectic harp styles captured by the storytelling quality of Celtic music. An important influence in Star's musical choices come from a dance background in international folk dance music. All these musical styles have found a home in the heart of Star's music.
"Thrilling artistry - Jim Schwartzkopff, Venture West Talent Agency"

Star currently plays with KingBeat, a five piece group specializing in the exploration of fusing Celtic, folk and rock with hits from the likes of calypso icon, Harry Belafonte, Nouveau flamenco artist, Ottmar Liebert, jazz guitarist, George Benson and the new wave of Irish-rock . She teaches Celtic harp at Swallow Hill Music School in Denver and has authored thirteen harp method/music books and ensembles, with 3 recordings.

Star was invited to be a guest with the Internationally acclaimed Irish group, The Chieftains, as they toured through Denver and Colorado Springs in 2003. In a farewell gesture to their harper, Derek Bell, she was to play his favorite pieces with the Chieftains. She has appeared on an episode of the Perry Mason TV show, The Case of the Skin Deep Scandal, with Morgan Fairchild and the movie, The Princess and the Dwarf, which was shot at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. The movie featured Warwick Davis, John Rhyes-Davies, and Richard Kiel.

Solo harp: One chair and DI inputs with one mike.
Star and KingBeat: 5 piece band: 3 mikes, 4 DI inputs, monitors.