Susan Knapp Thomas, harpist, received her Bachelor’s Degree from the Eastman School of Music, and is a student of Eileen Malone, Phyllis Wright, Aristid von Wurtzler and Barbara Pniewska. Ms. Thomas is a well-known Chamber, Orchestral and Solo Concert Artist and teacher throughout Connecticut and Southern New England.
As an orchestral harpist, Susan has enjoyed a long relationship with the The Hartford Symphony, and was their featured concerto soloist in June of 2008, performing Mozart’s Flute and Harp Concerto with principal flutist, Grieg Shearer. She also plays regularly for the Rhode Island Philharmonic, and Waterbury Symphony, and performed as harpist for the U.S. Coast Guard Band from 1987-2002. Ms. Thomas regularly plays touring shows for the Bushnell and the Shubert Theaters in Hartford and New Haven, CT, and at the Goodspeed Opera House.
Ms.Thomas has been featured in concert at The Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, the Trinity College Summer Concert Series, The Mt. Washington Hotel in New Hampshire, SUNY Cobleskill, and has twice been a guest artist for Hartford’s New World Chamber Ensemble series in concert with violinist Anhared Stowe. In 1993 she appeared with world reknowned teacher and flutist Brad Garner at the National Flute Convention, and is co-founder of her own flute and harp duos and flute, harp and ‘cello trios, for which she has made several arrangements. In October of 2005 she premiered a new work for harp, cello and voice written by Connecticut composer Sarah Meneely-Kyder, “Behold Night’s Dream Unveiled.”
Ms. Thomas has done regular work for the Frank Sinatra Jr. show. Her backup work includes shows for such notables as Judy Collins, the group “Yes”, the Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, Peter Cetera, Johnny Mathis and others. Her recently released CD, Everlasting Sunday, was a finalist considered by the Greater Hartford Arts Council for one of their donor level gifts. She is also recorded on the Opus label.
As a harp soloist, Ms. Thomas has been featured with I Giovanni Solisti, the Farmington Valley and Wallingford Symphonies, and the Connecticut Valley Chamber Orchestra, performing Debussy’s Danses Sacree et Profane, Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro, and Mozarts Concerto for Flute and Harp. She has been a featured solo guest artist for numerous concert series in both Northern and Southern New England.
A passionate instructor, Ms. Thomas is on the faculty at MusicMakers Academy in Manchester, Trinity College, and Central Connecticut State University. She is the Director and Founder of the Connecticut Valley Harp Intensive Summer Camp (ctvalleyharp.com) in Simsbury, CT. She has served as an Effective Competition Preparation Coach for such national competitions as the Anne Adams Awards, and recently judged the AHS MetroHarp Competition in New York City. Her students have been multiple prize winners in both local and national competitions. Ms. Thomas is a contributing writer to “The Harp Column” magazine.
Ms. Thomas lives in Bloomfield with her husband, Brad, and their Australian Shepherds, Tillie and Pepper. When not playing the harp, Susan enjoys training and trialing her dogs in the sport of agility, traveling with her husband and anything outdoors.
