SUMMER SCHOOL OF EARLY IRISH HARP
KAREN LOOMIS
Lecturer, Scoil na gCláirseach
Karen Loomis has recently completed a PhD in Music at the University of Edinburgh. For her dissertation she researched the construction of the Queen Mary and Lamont harps of the National Museum of Scotland, using modern technology to unlock the secrets of these historical instruments. Karen strives to advance our knowledge and understanding of the Irish harp, and is daily motivated in her work by all who seek to recreate its magnificent sound.
Karen is the 2011 recipient of the American Musical Instrument Society's Fredrich R. Selch prize, awarded for her presentation on the historical damage to the Lamont harp. In 2010 she received the MMus in Musical Instrument Research with Distinction from the University of Edinburgh. She also holds a BSc in Physics and an MA in Astronomy.