biography
Based in Paris, France, timeless source of artistic inspiration and cradle of the modern harp, the Atlantic Harp Duo endeavors to bring the richness of two harps to music otherwise beyond the possibilities of a single instrument. Founded in 2006 by Marta Power Luce and Elizabeth Jaxon, both natives of the Great Lakes Region of the United States, the harp duo performs regularly on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ms Luce and Ms Jaxon both studied under Isabelle Perrin at the Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris. Ms Luce received her Diplôme de Concertiste from this establishment in 2008, and has a degree in Musicology from the Sorbonne. She has participated in many international harp competitions, winning prizes in the Félix Godefroid International Competition in Belgium and the North London Festival of Music and Drama. Ms Jaxon received her Bachelor's of Music in 2006 from the University of Illinois where she studied with Ann Yeung. In 2009, she earned her Ecole Normale Diplôme de Concertiste. Since moving to Paris, she has been awarded prizes in several international competitions, including the First International Harp Competition of Szeged in Hungary, and participated in the world-renowned International Harp Contest in Israel in 2009. Both maintain active teaching studios and performing careers in Paris.
The Atlantic Harp Duo has been among the finalists in the International Chamber Music Competition with Harp in Madrid, Spain, and in the UFAM Competition in Paris, and has been invited by Marie-Claire Jamet to the Villecroze Music Academy in 2010. Since its conception, the duo has performed in the Great Lakes region, as well as in France, Poland, and Spain. Always striving towards the most informed musical interpretation, the duo has consulted directly with composers of the major works of their repertoire - Jean-Michel Damase, Bernard Andrès, Anthony Girard, and Caroline Lizotte. With the variety of textures and the increased technical capabilities which two harps allow, the Atlantic Harp Duo seeks to enrich the harp's repertoire through transcriptions as well as new compositions.
