aura Sherman
busytuning
Laura Sherman
Harpist, Teacher, Writer, Editor, Publisher, Scholar
Laura Sherman is a Miami-based harpist with extensive experience in classical, popular and commercial music. In 2019, Laura relocated to Miami from New York City, where she was a popular performer, teacher, writer and editor for thirty-four years, including fifteen years as the original harpist with the Broadway production of "Wicked." She can also be heard on the “Hamilton” Broadway Cast Recording, as well as on recordings of Barbra Streisand, Meredith Monk, and numerous film scores.
She is currently the principal harpist of the Palm Beach Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, Nu Deco Ensemble and Symphony of the Americas and is a voting member of the Recording Academy’s Grammy Awards since 2020. She has played on two Grammy-award winning recordings, as well as one Grammy-nominated recording.
In addition, Dr. Sherman founded Gotham Harp Publishing in 2012, holds four advanced degrees, specializes in playing J.S. Bach’s music on the pedal harp, is a frequent writer and guest editor for a number of national and international harp publications, and has served as a judge for national harp competitions. She also served, from 2019-2021, as the Artistic Director co-chair, with Cheryl Dungan Cunningham, of the American Harp Society's 2020/2022 National Conference in Orlando, Florida (postponed to June 2024).
Currently, she and harpist Sara Cutler (New York City Ballet and American Composers Orchestra) are co-writing a book entitled “A Young Harpist’s Guide to the Orchestra,” to be published in late 2024. Stay tuned!
Explore the Collection
Bach For All Harpists
Bach For All Harpists
This new collection of six graded keyboard pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach has been transcribed for the harp and offers students, teachers, and professionals an opportunity to expand their repertoire as well as learn valuable technical and musical skills.
Using music that J.S. Bach composed as pedagogical pieces for his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann, and his second wife, Anna Magdalena, gives harpists of all levels an in-depth look into his music and late German Baroque style. It also offers a glimpse into what it might have been like to study with one of the world’s greatest musicians.
Three works are for beginners; one for intermediate; and two for advanced levels. All are for pedal harp and two can also be played on the lever harp. Extensive information about ornamentation, phrasing, fingerings, dynamics, and piece-specific recommendations are also included.
An article about this collection appears in the March/April 2024 issue of Harp Column magazine. Each of the six pieces are also available as individual PDFs through Harp Column Music. A print version of this collection is only available from Gotham Harp Publishing.
American Harp Society's 2023 National Competition
Colburn School of Music
Dr. Laura Sherman recently served as a judge at the American Harp Society's 2023 National Competition held at the Colburn School of Music in downtown Los Angeles. There were a total of 25 prizes awarded in five categories.
Prior to the competition, which was held between May 31 - June 4, 2023, Dr. Sherman prepared a ten-part online series for participants to help with their preparations.
Listen
Examples of Laura Sherman's Solo and Chamber Music Performances
“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity.”
Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Study
Teaching Philosophy
Given her diverse musical experiences, Dr. Sherman has much to offer today's students. Whether playing hip-hop music in a New York City recording studio, musical theater on Broadway, classical music with a symphony orchestra at Carnegie Hall, popular music with Barbra Streisand in Tel Aviv, early music at an historical harp conference in a castle in Italy, or solo and chamber works in halls around the country, Dr. Sherman enjoys sharing her diverse knowledge with students of all ages. As a J.S. Bach specialist, she also enjoys helping students create their own transcriptions of early music, as well as preparing their editions for performance.
She has given masterclasses on J. S. Bach's music at the American Harp Society's Conferences in New York City (2012) and Atlanta (2016) and at The World Harp Congress's Conferences in Prague, Czech Republic (1999) and Sydney, Australia (2014).
In addition to teaching privately in Miami and New York City, Dr. Sherman served as the lecturer in harp, music theory and chamber music at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami; as the assistant professor of harp and music studies at Louisiana State University and as an adjunct instructor in harp and music studies at Hunter College/City University of New York. She has also served as a judge for the American Harp Society’s 2021 and 2023 National Competitions.
If you are interested in private lessons, audition prep, or coaching assistance, Dr. Sherman teaches in person and on Zoom. She can be reached through email, Facebook or Instagram.
