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Welcome to SpanishHarpist.com!

Beatriz Martin-Ruiz, Harpist

If you are looking for a harp teacher in White Plains, NY or a harpist to perform for a special event in the tri-state area, you have come to the right place! In this website you will find information regarding my teaching experience, my availability for performances, and some of my favorite pictures and links. Also, check back periodically for news updates: public performances, open rehearsals, or student recitals.

About Me...

A native of Bilbao, Spain, I started taking harp lessons at the age of 12, in The Conservatory of Music of Bilbao. I finished my Professional degree at age 17, and moved to Madrid to attend the prestigious Royal Conservatory of Music in Madrid. At this institution I studied with the world-renowned performer, teacher, and musicologist, Maria Rosa Calvo-Manzano. I hold an Artist Diploma from the Royal Conservatory in Harp Performance and Harp Pedagogy. In 1994, I was offered an international award that enabled me to attend the School of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. There I studied with my mentor, Alice Keene, and earned a second Bachelors of Music, in Harp Performance, in 1996. My professional experience includes more than 15 years of harp instruction, including a two-year tenure at my alma mater, the University of Illinois. At Illinois, I consistently appeared in the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students. As a performer, I have won prizes in several international competitions, and have performed extensively in Europe, and the United States. I appear frequently in panels and conferences, and present lectures at national and international harp events.

Until recently I lived in Champaign, Illinois, with my husband, Michael Hughes, a recent PhD graduate from the University of Illinois; our new baby boy, Gabriel, born February 18, 2005; our German Shepherd, Mia, the sweetest dog you'll ever find; and our cat, Pepe, who is not as sweet, but he is getting better :)

For about 12 years I maintained a private harp studio and I performed extensively as a free-lance harpist in Central Illinois. I also worked full-time at the University of Illinois' Office of Admissions and Records, where I was an international admissions counselor . What can I say, I am not one to sit around, I like being busy...

We moved to the New York Metropolitan area in July 05. Mike accepted a position as History Professor at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. I myself just recently accepted the Position of Coordinator of the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, in Purchase, New York. While this is an administrative position, I continue to perform and teach as much as I can, and I intend to be very active in the performing arts scene.

I can be reached at (914) 437-5047, or via email at harpbmr@yahoo.com

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Last updated 04/12/2007 by Bea