Matt is available to provide instrumental music on Celtic harp for wedding ceremonies, receptions, art openings, cocktail hours or any other occasion that needs something special.

In addition, he has a broad repertoire of songs which he can sing with harp accompaniment, ranging from traditional folk ballads to modern pop and religious songs. Matt has made a study of traditional music from Ireland, England, Scotland, the U.S. and Canada and can provide history and educational content for many of the songs he performs.

A sample of Matt’s playing can be found here.

Conversations about special song requests, period costuming for themed events and extended travel are all welcome!

About the instrument:

The harp is possibly the oldest type of string instrument in the world, and forms of it date  back at least 5,000 years. What we recognize as the Celtic harp evolved in Europe during the middle ages and was a central part of the music of Ireland and Scotland through the 18th Century, and remained an important cultural symbol through the present.
Modern harps mostly fall in two categories: the large harps used in classical music, which generally have around 47 strings and use a series of pedal-controlled mechanisms to change keys while playing, and the less mechanically-complex folk harps, also known as lever harps or Celtic harps. These instruments come in a wide range of sizes and styles, ranging from small lap instruments to larger harps with nearly the size and range of their classical cousins. Most use a series of small levers to change the pitch of strings and allow the harpist to play in different keys.

Matt plays the Celtic variety of harp, and his personal instruments are a medium-size (26-string) harp, made by Highland Harps of Fort Collins, Colorado and a full-size (34-string) harp made by Dusty Strings in Seattle, Washington