User:Alexandrosadam/sandbox

=Maria-Christina Harper=

Maria-Christina Harper is a London based, electric harper.

Maria-Christina studied the piano and the pedal harp. She studied at the Royal Academy of music in London and is now a PhD candidate in Music at the University of Surrey, UK She is the winner of the first prize at the Wales international Harp Competition 2010 in the pop-jazz amplified harp category presenting and performing her own compositions on the harp.

Harper released her debut solo album Gluten free as MC & The 7 Pedals under Valentine Records (UK) and has now released her second album, Draft with Cretan lute player under the name Hairetis Harper (Same Difference Music)

Harper has performed on Later with Jools Holland on BBC2, has recorded for the BBC Radio 1 studios, and has performed all over Europe. She was invited to perform live her debut album Gluten free on BBC6 with Tom Robinson.

She has played at the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, The Roundhouse, National Portrait Gallery, Bush Hall, 606 jazz club, Montreal International Jazz Festival, Vera (Groningen), and has toured and collaborated with Katie Melua, Soft cell, Alani, Jeremy Reed, Pete Long, Georgina Jackson and Psarantonis.

After graduating from Roehampton University (MA in Music Therapy) in London, Maria Christina Harper has been working as a music therapist in hospitals, hospices, prisons.

Harper is the co-founder of ‘Be With’ an NGO where the main focus is on delivering concerts and music therapy sessions in hospitals and prisons.

She teaches at Roehampton University, London.

Harper is also project leader of Sofar Sounds in Athens, Greece.