Introduce yourself in 280 characters or less.
Hello! I’m Elizabeth Volpé Bligh, retired Principal Harpist of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, where I worked from 1982-2018. I also write harp music, teach privately, ski and sail.
How would you describe your approach to teaching music? What do you enjoy the most about teaching?
I take each students’ goals into account while helping them choose repertoire that they love, as well as pieces that will help their growth and understanding. I help them with performance anxiety, memorization, practising strategies and other skills. I enjoy watching each student find their strengths and interests and grow into a wonderful musician.
What courses are you teaching in 2020/21?
Harp Studio.
What can students expect during their private lessons with you?
I try to find ergonomic techniques and fingerings, tailored to the students’ physiques. The music is the most important thing, so my fingerings are designed to make the playing as smooth and easy as possible. I do not browbeat students; they must love music enough to want to do their best, but I always correct inefficient technique or rhythmic skills. I am always happy to coach them on their large-ensemble parts, since that is my specialty.
What do you love about your instrument? What drives you crazy about it?
I love the harp’s sound.
Managing the seven pedals in chromatic music drives me crazy. And nobody enjoys moving the harp, bench, music stand and bag of strings around. And the fact that you have to tune 47 strings every day. And when a string breaks in the middle of a rehearsal or concert.
WATCH: Prof. Volpé Bligh performs her composition “Winter in Vancouver”
Describe one of your most memorable performances (good or bad!).
One of my favourite memories was performing a solo recital in a gorgeous old cathedral in Crea, Italy, as part of the 6th International Harp Workshop in 2012. I also played some harp duos with Marguerita Bassani. I was worried because my fingers were sticking together from the heat! I played a mostly Canadian program, including some of my own pieces. It went very well, and a dear old lady came up to me at the end with tears in her eyes, telling me how beautiful it was. I still have friends from that festival.
What is your favourite piece of music/composer/musician?
This is a very difficult question. I can’t pick a favourite, but I love Mahler’s 4th Symphony, I love Prokofiev, and ones of my favourite musicians is violinist James Ehnes.
If you couldn’t play the harp, what instrument would you like to play?
I used to play the flute, so that would be it. I do miss having only one line to read.
When you’re not practicing or teaching or performing, what are you most likely to be doing?
Baking or cooking.
Finally, what advice would you give students entering the BMus program this year? And for students thinking about the BMus program, what are your top three best reasons for studying music at UBC?
It’s so rewarding to be surrounded with great colleagues with the same interests as you. The music world is fairly small, so you will bump into them for the rest of your career, all over the world. You will learn so much from sessions with the stellar faculty of the School of Music, enjoy workshopping and getting feedback from your fellow harpists at studio classes, and performing in the Chan Centre and Roy Barnett Recital Hall. UBC School of Music is also very fortunate to have excellent conductors for the large ensembles.
For more information about Prof. Bligh, visit her faculty profile.
