Van Voorhees to perform at St. John’s

Harpist Rachel Van Voorhees will perform Nov. 19, back by popular demand, at the second concert in the Music at St. John’s Concert Series in Thibodaux.

“(Van Voorhees) is immensely popular, and we are bringing her back for the many patrons who have requested that we schedule her again,” said Julie Pardo, president of the series.

The principal harpist of the Louisiana Philharmonic, Van Voorhees has enjoyed a unique career as a soloist, recitalist, chamber and orchestral musician and teacher. In addition to the classics, she is equally at home in the jazz realm, frequently appearing with the jazz group Diversity, which she co-founded with Charles Neville of the famed Neville Brothers. She’s also performed with a wide range of Louisiana’s finest pop, gospel, R&B, Cajun and rock musicians.

Van Voorhees is on the faculty of Tulane, Loyola and Dillard universities in New Orleans. She is also the solo harpist at the Windsor Court Hotel. During the summer months, she is the principal harpist of the Grand Teton Music Festival in Jackson Hole, Wy.

Van Voorhees studied at The Julliard School in New York City, Purchase College in New York and the Conservatoire in Fontainbleau, France. She earned a master’s degree from Yale University, where she was awarded the Harriet Gibbs Fox Award for highest scholastic average. Also, she studied the harp with Marcel Grandjany and theory with Nadia Boulanger.

The recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, Van Voorhees has performed more than 80 concerts for the Orleans Parish School Board Elementary Cultural Resources Assembly Series.

The harpist has recorded eight CDs, which include A Christmas Classic, Christmas Favorites and My Gentle Harp. Her CDs are available online at Amazon.com or www.Rachelharp.com. Van Voorhees’ soothing recordings are frequently played on PBS stations around the country, and she has appeared as a soloist on PBS Television and National Public Radio.

Van Voorhees has served on numerous boards in New Orleans, including Junior Achievement, Arts Council, Ballet Association, the National Association of Recording Artists, which presents the annual Grammy awards, and WWNO Radio. She has also been involved in a number of charitable galas and fund-raisers, and is a member of the Junior League and the National Council of Jewish Women.

The concert will begin at 3 p.m. Sunday at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 718 Jackson St. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students 18 and over, and free for students under age 18.