Amelia Romano at the Mazza Castle

Please join us at the Mazza Castle for an evening of music with harpist Amelia Romano.

Amelia Romano is re-imagining the lever harp to showcase the instrument’s versatility.

The lever harp is often played by folk musicians and designed to play folk music from countries including Ireland and Scotland. In this context, oftentimes the lever mechanisms at the top of the instrument are set in the key of the song and left that way throughout the folk song. Conversely, on the classical pedal harp, one can easily change notes by stepping on the pedals.

Amelia’s vision has taken on both harp worlds and tackles complex classical passages on the lever harp by shifting the mechanisms mid-song, which is fascinating to watch. While pedal harps weigh 80 pounds, lever harps weigh 25, making them very portable. Romano lived in South Africa for a year and has toured in Europe, the southern United States and Pacific Northwest, bringing her enthusiasm for lever harps to classical music, wherever she goes.

Her latest endeavor, Lever Harp for the Modern Harpist, is a virtual movement championing cross-genre chromatic lever harp arrangements to pave new directions for the lever harp in today’s music landscape. She released the album, “Levers Engaged: Classical Works Re-imaged for Harp,'' and sheet music collection, “Classical Re-imaginations," in 2023, presenting the instrument as a valid voice in classical music. Amelia is equally at home writing Latin America-inspired works for solo harp as she is adapting classical pieces for chamber collaborations. Amelia offers virtual workshops and seminars centered around best lever-shifting practices and tools for adapting and performing chromatic works on the instrument.

Romano received her master’s degree in Classical Lever Harp Performance at San Francisco State University under the tutelage of Karen Gottlieb, retired harpist of the San Francisco Symphony.

Learn More

• Artist's website

• Amelia Romano on Spotify

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Doors open at 4 PM with complimentary light refreshments and wine. Music begins promptly at 5 PM. 

Please Note:

• The performance is approximately 75 minutes without intermission.

• Music salons are for adults only.

• No outside food or drink, spiked heels, or pets are permitted.

• The Castle is not wheelchair accessible and tours require walking up and down some stairs.

• The Castle is a non-smoking property.