“The harp is the only instrument you cradle in your arms.”
--Mildred Milligan
GHC President
Emily Klein
Houston based harpist Emily Klein is the Principal Harpist with Opera in the Heights and regularly performs with the Houston and San Antonio Symphony Orchestras. In March 2018 Ms. Klein joined the Houston Symphony for their European Tour. From 2012-2015 Emily was a member of the Young Artist Program at Da Camera of Houston and performed at the Wortham Theater Center, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Rothko Chapel, and for HISD middle and high school students. Ms. Klein has performed with esteemed artists such as Josh Groban, Renée Fleming, Ana María Martínez, Weird Al Yankovic, and The Suffers band in collaboration with the Houston Symphony.
Ms. Klein received her high school diploma from Interlochen Arts Academy and obtained her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University where she was a student of Paula Page, former Houston Symphony Principal Harpist. Ms. Klein teaches the harp at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and at the AFA Summer Music Festival.
For more information about the artist www.emilykleinharp.com.
GHC Vice President
Susanna Campbell
Susanna Campbell is a music educator and performer based in Houston, Texas. Most recently she served as principal harpist with the Central Texas Philharmonic for five seasons and previously performed with the Symphony of Southeast Texas, Mobile Symphony, Density512 in Austin, Galveston Symphony, Symphony North of Houston, Houston Civic Symphony and Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra. A lover of chamber music, Ms. Campbell is a founding member of Shoso Duo, a shakuhachi and harp ensemble merging western and eastern cultures and music, and AURORA, a harp, flute, and cello ensemble creating unique concert experiences through exciting programming and innovative spaces.
In addition to performing, Ms. Campbell maintains a private harp and piano studio and takes great delight in training and mentoring young musicians. She is on faculty at Lone Star College and the Houston Summer Harp Festival, serves as the Vice President of the Greater Houston Chapter of the American Harp Society, and is the music ministry director at King’s Cross Church in Cypress. Ms. Campbell was a finalist in the Anne Adams Awards, first place winner of the Mildred Milligan competition college division, and a winner of the Concerto/Aria Competition at Stephen F. Austin State University where she graduated with a master’s degree in harp performance under the instruction of Ms. Emily Mitchell.
GHC Treasurer
Heather Finley
Heather Finley is a freelance harpist and private harp teacher in Houston. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Harp Performance at Sam Houston State University under the direction of Paula Page, the former harpist of the Houston Symphony. As a freelance musician, Heather enjoys playing regularly for weddings and special events in the Greater Houston Area. She was awarded Best of Weddings from The Knot in 2021 & 2022. She performs with local orchestras including the Clear Lake Symphony, Galveston Symphony, Baytown Symphony, and Pasadena Philharmonic Orchestra. Heather fell in love with the harp at an early age after being inspired by Walt Disney’s Fantasia. Her passion is to inspire others to love the harp, and she enjoys teaching private harp lessons out of her home in Friendswood, Texas.
GHC Secretary
Kelsey Sham
Harpist Kelsey Sham is currently pursuing her graduate studies at Rice University under the tutelage of Paula Page, former Houston Symphony harpist, and completed her undergraduate degree at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with world-famous recording artist and pedagogue Yolanda Kondonassis, where she also earned a minor in Music History. A dedicated orchestral musician, Ms. Sham has performed with both classical and contemporary ensembles, and has worked to promote new music and art installations. As a passionate advocate for arts education, she maintains a private studio, serves as the Secretary of the Greater Houston Chapter of the American Harp Society, and has worked with Young Audiences of Houston to increase accessibility of the Fine Arts to underserved schools. In 2019, she was named a Fulbright semi-finalist for her proposal on multidisciplinary performance to merge modern Taiwanese culture and classical harp, and also was awarded the Sviatoslav Richter Fund for Music Outreach, with which she introduced folk music to over 100 children in the Greater Houston area. Ms. Sham currently serves as a Young Artist for Da Camera of Houston and conducts virtual workshops on the music of people of color, folk music, and identity through cultural music. In her spare time, she works with Traktivist, an online platform that supports the voices of Asian-American musicians, and enjoys visiting museums, cooking, and traveling. kelseysham.com
GHC Webmaster
Hope Cowan
Harpist Hope Cowan performs and teaches throughout the Houston area as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician, and event harpist. Active as both an orchestral and chamber musician, she is principal harpist with the Symphony of Southeast Texas and is a founding member of both the Canticle Duo and Lynx Trio.As an educator, she is a teaching artist for Young Audiences of Houston where she creates custom arts integration lessons and performances with an emphasis on social and emotional learning. Ms. Cowan also teaches private harp lessons to students of all ages at her home studio. A strong advocate for the local Houston harp community, she was formerly the president of the Greater Houston Chapter of the American Harp Society, and currently serves as the organization’s Webmaster. Ms. Cowan is on the faculty for the Houston Summer Harp Festival. She received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Houston, and a Master of Music degree from Rice University, both under the instruction of Paula Page. www.hopecowanharp.com
Milligan Committee Chair
Naomi Hoffmeyer
Naomi is a freelance artist and educator based in the Woodland Heights neighborhood of Houston. She has been the Principal Harpist of both the California and Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestras since 2013, and has performed as a guest musician with ensembles including the Houston Symphony and Ballet, as well as the San Francisco Symphony and Ballet. As an educator, Naomi maintains a private studio and is a co-director of the Houston Youth Harp Ensemble. Naomi received her Master of Music and Artist Diploma Degrees with Paula Page at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. She also trained under Douglas Rioth and Ann Hobson Pilot at the San Francisco and New England Conservatories. In addition to her conservatory studies, she credits much of her musical and personal development to her time spent at the Interlochen Arts Academy. While maintaining an active musical schedule, Naomi is an enthusiast of the culinary arts and holds a degree in Pâtisserie and Baking from the California Culinary Academy. She grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, and spends her spare time hiking, reading, and catering to her cat’s every whim. www.naomihoffmeyer.com