Cynthia Kuni, Harpist

10/18/2025

Got to meet one of my favorite harpists who was in town for a chamber music concert! Bridget Kibbey! 🪉😍👏❤️

07/14/2025

A bit of my performance at the Skagit Highland Games on Saturday.

02/06/2025

Harpo Marx taught himself to hold the harp by imitating the posture of a harp-playing angel in an image he saw at a five-and-dime store. Lacking anyone in town who could provide instruction, he tuned the harp by ear, starting with a single note and adjusting the rest accordingly. Remarkably, he learned to play without formal lessons.

Three years later, he discovered that his tuning was unconventional, yet it reduced the tension on the strings. Despite his exceptional musical ability, Harpo never learned to read or write music. He paid top musicians to teach him the "correct" harp-playing techniques, but he retained his unique style throughout his life. Interestingly, his instructors often ended up observing his performances, captivated by his approach.

One notable exception was Mildred Dilling, a professional harpist who successfully taught Harpo proper technique and frequently collaborated with him when he struggled with composition. After Harpo's passing, one of his harps was donated to the State of Israel and eventually became part of an Israeli orchestra.

01/05/2025

Beautiful wedding! Congratulations Chaz and Mariah. (Pictures taken before event- it did fill up! 😆)

12/14/2024

Playing Christmas program tonight with some dear friends who teach at Summit Christian School.

08/16/2024

We made the Folk Harp Journal!

07/14/2024

I do worry about this a little. Especially now that I've started drills on my more difficult Christmas repertoire. Yes, in July. Have to be ready! Sorry neighbors!!

07/13/2024

I finally have my website back up and running! It is fairly minimalist, however. Too minimalist? Please let me know what you think. 💕
www.cynthiakuniharp.com

06/16/2024

https://youtu.be/5VsWYwdUMc8?si=YidWg0iw2jbxK3VH
Well, this is just fun. I met Ms. Chalifoux a few years after this interview, in the early 1990s. She had a reputation for having "a mouth like a sailor," which turned out to be shockingly true! Such a petite little lady. But she came up in the days when no orchestra had female members and I guess she had to be tough. There were often no facilities for a lady when they were on the road, and she would change inside the harp's shipping trunk.

0:14- interview with Alice Chalifoux7:30- LECUONA MalagueñaPerformed by:Mindy Dalmas CutcherXiao Lei Zhang SalovaraElizabeth RameyTrina Struble

06/07/2024