FAQs

Harp Fest NZ 2023 will take place from 3 to 6 February 2023 in Auckland, New Zealand. The venue for the festival is Dilworth Senior Campus.

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We look forward to welcoming children to the festival and want them to be fully involved. There are workshops and activities, such as an art class, specifically designed for children. There will also be a designated children only area which will be staffed by volunteers with backgrounds such as classroom teacher.

Visit this New Zealand Government COVID-19 website for the most currently information on information on vaccination and testing requirements, venue capacity, travel, and other COVID-19 information

It's a public holiday - in fact, one of our national holidays called Waitangi Weekend. Monday is a public holiday and our final concert will finish around 3.15pm to allow people to head towards home and get ready for the working and school week.

‘Three day’ tickets will be available from 1 August 2022.
Tickets for the concerts only will be available for sale from 1 August 2022. More details about the tickets (types and content) can be seen on the iTICKET website.

The ticket sales and concert ticket sales will be run through iTICKET, and following registration, you will be sent more information about important aspects of Harp Fest - such as choosing workshops, harp hire and masterclasses.

The ‘three day’ ticket includes access to workshops, masterclasses (as observer), talks, and afternoon concerts for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

All ‘three day’ ticket holders will receive an invitation to an exclusive Friday evening event to celebrate the opening of the festival. You will need to book for the Saturday and Sunday evening concerts if you would like to attend.

There are capacity limits for some rooms at the venue for workshop sessions. Names can be added to a waiting list if a course reaches capacity.

Additional concert tickets will be available for purchase at the same time as early bird ticket sales open.

Concessions are available for children 16 years and under, senior citizens (65+) and secondary/tertiary students (17+) with valid ID.

A child under 12 (at 3 February 2023) must be accompanied by a parent/caregiver, however there is a child-specific programme. There are three workshops for children which the caregiver must sign the child into and out of. Both the caregiver and child are welcome to attend the 4th workshop and the afternoon concert. If the caregiver would like to attend other sessions then a full ticket must be purchased.

Priority ticketing will be given to early bird ‘three day’ ticket passes. Day passes, if available, will be advertised from 1 November 2022.

All Harp Fest NZ 2023 ticket bookings are made through a third party ticketing group called iTICKET.
If Harp Fest NZ 2023 is cancelled for any reason, iTICKET will refund the cost of your ticket, minus booking fees.
We suggest you have travel insurance in case you are unable to attend, for any reason, as iTICKET does not refund tickets.

Dilworth Senior Campus is located at 2 Erin Street, Epsom, Auckland 1051. Note: there are two Dilworth campuses in central Auckland, our venue is Dilworth Senior Campus.

Here is a link to the campus on google maps.

Most of the event locations are mobility accessible however some classrooms have entry stairs, which may preclude mobility access. When registering, limited accessibility will be identified and the opportunity for an attendee to provide information about accessibility requirements will be available. 

The car park is located 100 metres from the main festival buildings. The buildings used during the festival are within about 200 metres of each other. The greatest distance between any location is 300 metres.

Hot and cold drinks will be provided for attendees onsite, but meals are not available onsite. When registered for the festival, an option will be available to purchase a boxed lunch (eg. sandwich, salad, fruit, and sweet) which will be available each day of the festival. Less than 15 minutes walk from Dilworth is the thriving shopping area of Newmarket, the location of many great cafes and a fantastic food court in Westfield Plaza.

The programme will feature guest harpists and teachers from around the world, as well as from New Zealand, for concerts, workshops, talks and masterclasses. Programme details can be found here

Each workshop presenter has unique interests and skills relating to the harp. As an attendee, you will leave the workshop with new or re-visited skills that you have learnt during the workshop. Many workshops will have a hands-on component however, as not everyone attending may have access to a harp, our workshop presenters will incorporate aspects in their workshops which provide learning with or without a harp. Details about each workshop will include the suggested ability level for attendees. See here: Workshop Options

A masterclass is an opportunity for a student to play a work for a master teacher, in a performance situation and in front of an audience. The intention is to provide a learning opportunity for the student as well as the audience/observers.

A lesson is usually regular one-on-one instruction with a teacher, who will develop the student’s technical ability to play the harp, allocate suitable pieces and exercises to improve musicality, and plan for the student’s ongoing progress. In a masterclass, a teacher works with the student in front of an audience. Like a performance, the student will perform their piece uninterrupted. The master teacher will then address the student, as well as the audience, and may explore interpretation and technical issues, which affect every player of that instrument.

 Applications to be an active participant in a masterclass can only be processed from harpists who have purchased a ticket for Harp Fest NZ 2023. Preference will be given to three-day weekend pass holders.Masterclasses will be offered from Grade 3 to advanced.
The deadline for masterclass applications is 1 November 2022. This application form must be accompanied by a video .
All masterclass applicants will be advised by 15 November 2022 as to whether or not they have been accepted for a masterclass. Successful applicants must pay the masterclass student fee ($10) and email a copy of the work to be performed in the masterclass to [email protected] by 1 December 2022
More details available on registration.

We would encourage everyone to attend at least one masterclass. As an observer you will not only appreciate listening to performances of works but also learn about the work and how to perform it from the teacher.

The afternoon concerts feature one or two guest performers and are 45 minutes in length. The evening concerts are 90 minutes in length and will feature a soloist and an ensemble performance. Concert details can be found here.

If you can bring your own harp, please do. Workshops will include a hands-on harp component. For attendees who do not have access to a harp, we have asked our presenters and tutors to ensure there is a component in the workshop for those without harps.

A limited number of lever harps will be available for hire for the weekend. Priority will be given to harpists who are travelling distances. Hire harps must remain within the venue and cannot be taken away from the venue. Following registration (in September) more information will be sent out about hire harps.
There is no guarantee we will have any pedal harps to hire.

Harp storage is available in a large common room for personal harps of attendees at the festival. On registration you will be asked whether you would like overnight storage space allocated for your harp. All items in the storage area must be clearly labelled and named and insured for cover away from your home. Harp Fest NZ does not accept any responsibility for loss or damage to any personal items during the festival.

If you have an extra harp that could be made available to a harpist flying in Auckland, please contact us on [email protected]

You are welcome to bring a support person with you if you need someone to move your harp or assist you to your next session, however that person can't attend any sessions, workshops or concerts themselves unless they buy a weekend pass.

If you have a harp trolley for your pedal harp, this will assist when moving your harp. The distance between buildings is no more than 200 metres and footpaths are smooth and trolley friendly. A music stand may be handy in some workshops. Please clearly name these items. You are responsible for your own gear and Harp Fest NZ will not accept responsibility for any loss or damage sustained to personal items during the festival.

We suggest finding accommodation around Epsom/Newmarket.

Some options which are close to the venue are: Auckland Newmarket Motel, Off Broadway Motel, Quality Suite Alexander Inn, Boulevard Hotel, Quest Newmarket, Alpers Lodge, Ramada by Wyndham Newmarket, The Edgerley Suites

For anyone staying locally, the Auckland Transport website will assist with planning your journey. There are bus routes a short distance from the school and train stations less than 20 minutes’ walk away.

Lewis Eady, in conjunction with The Harp Society of New Zealand, presents New Zealand Harp Competition for advanced amateur lever and pedal harpists. The Competition is open to New Zealand citizens, permanent residents, or a student enrolled in a recognised New Zealand school for two or more consecutive years. Information about the competition background and the rules are attached. This is the link to submit an entry. The closing date for entry is 1 December 2022.

Katryna Tan (Singapore) will facilitate a workshop for harp teachers and advanced harpists on Tuesday, 7 February 2023, from 9.00am to midday. The workshop will be based on Katryna’s book ‘Unleash the Musician in You’. Katryna has inspired a whole new generation of harpists, guiding them to not only excel in their musical journey but also instilling a passion for music. The workshop cost has been significantly subsidised, thanks to a grant from the Margaret Neutze Legacy Fund, and includes a copy of Katryna’s book, and morning tea for $65. The workshop will be held at the Scott Lawrie Gallery in Mount Eden, Auckland.

If you would like the book in advance of the February workshop, please fill in the form asap. If you would like a copy of the book only, Katryna has provided copies at the discounted price of for $35 (plus p&p if needed).

You can register for the following opportunities on the 'Workshop Options' form after registration.

Participative Students for Technique workshop with Oscar Rodriguez do Campo (Argentina)

Oscar is presenting a three-day workshop each morning of Harp Fest and would like three participative students each day – Beginner level on Saturday, 4 February; Intermediate level on Sunday, 5 February; and Advanced level on Monday, 6 February. Each day students will perform a work at their level and Oscar will work with the student to demonstrate aspects of his techniques in a workshop situation. Further information about the workshops is attached to this email. Participation is restricted to Harp Fest NZ 2023 attendees only. Harpists can sign up for this on the workshops options form, which they will receive after booking tickets for Harp Fest.

Mr Fixit- Harp Clinic - Intermediate/Advanced with Josh Layne
Please indicate if you are an intermediate/advanced harpist and would like to be considered as a participative student in Josh's workshop. You must have a piece (grade 3 or higher level, lever or pedal) you can play for everyone in the class. This will be limited to the first five harpists who respond.