Elizabeth Hainen, harp, has earned an international reputation as one of classical music’s great harp ambassadors. Hailed by the Washington Post for her “unusual presence with silky transparency” and by the New York Times for her “earthy solidarity,” Hainen has thrilled audiences throughout the world with programs showcasing the diversity—and virtuosity—of her modern-day instrument. As solo harpist with The Philadelphia Orchestra since 1994, she has presented numerous featured performances to captivated audiences and has been praised by the Philadelphia Inquirer for “her ability to blend and color the musical line,” and “to find transparency in an almost timeless atmosphere.”

In high demand as a guest artist, Hainen has collaborated with such eminent conductors and musicians as Charles Dutoit, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, Michael Tilson Thomas, Wolfgang Sawallisch and the Juilliard String Quartet. In addition to The Philadelphia Orchestra, she has appeared as a featured soloist with the City of London Sinfonia, the Kennedy Center Orchestra, the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de Colombia, the Bulgaria National Radio Orchestra, Camerata Ducale in Italy, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the Mexico State Symphony, the Vienna Boys Choir and in numerous recitals at Carnegie Hall. Hainen serves on the faculties of the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music and Temple University.

Charlotte Blake Alston, storyteller & kora, is a narrator, storyteller, librettist, instrumentalist and singer who performs in venues throughout North America and abroad, including the Kennedy Center, Smithsonian Institution, Kimmel Center, Women of the World Festival (South Africa), as well as prisons, detention centers and a refugee camp in northern Senegal. She breathes life into traditional and contemporary stories from African and African American oral and cultural traditions. Her solo performances are often enhanced with traditional instruments such as djembe, mbira, shekere or the 21-stringed kora.

In 1991, Charlotte became the first storyteller to perform with The Philadelphia Orchestra and, since 1994, she has been the host of “Sound All Around,” the orchestra’s preschool concert series. She has also been a featured narrator for The Orchestra of St. Luke’s, The Cleveland Orchestra, the Saint Louis Symphony, the Orpheus Chamber Ensemble and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Charlotte has received numerous honors including the prestigious Pew Fellowship in the Arts, Philadelphia Magazine’s “Best of Philly,” the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Artist Of The Year Award (The Hazlett Memorial Award) and the Zora Neale Hurston Award, the highest award bestowed by the National Association of Black Storytellers. Her stories are available by downloading the Tales 2 Go application for the iPhone.