Alison Austin, Artistic Director

Alison has been living and teaching in the Seattle area for the past twenty-five years. She studied locally with Lynne Wainwright Palmer, with Lucille Lawrence at the Tanglewood Music Center and went on to study with Marilyn Costello at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia where she received an Artist’s Diploma. Ms. Austin performed regularly with the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera from 1980 to 2002 and continues to perform throughout the NW. She was acting principal harpist of Seattle Opera from 1998 to 2002. In her orchestral and opera experience, Ms. Austin has performed under the batons of such conductors as Riccardo Muti and Paul Paray. In her early career Ms. Austin was a winner of the Trenton, NJ harp competition, the Seattle Ladies Music Club and was selected as a Young Artist for the American Harp Society. Her harp duo Les Harpes performed the opening recital at the National AHS Conference in 1979 and toured throughout the Northeast. She has extensive experience in orchestral, opera, ballet, chamber, choral, duo harp, and has a special love for harp ensemble and teaching.

Lorna Fisher, Executive Director is a dancer with musical and office management training. She was a founding board member and event coordinator (1987-92) of Eine Kleine Summer Music in Victoria, B.C., a summer chamber series that continues to this day. She has also done extensive volunteer work with the Boy and Girl Scouts and the Edmonds School District, and she was a teacher and administrator at the Washington Academy of Performing Arts in Redmond.

Ruth Mar, Marketing Director/Webmaster is a Kirkland harpist and teacher; she received her degrees from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto and the University of Washington.  She has worked in marketing and development at the Seattle Chamber Music Society and is currently the resource development manager at the nonprofit organization Kirkland Interfaith Transitional Housing (KITH).  Ruth also does freelance graphic and web design for various nonprofit organizations in the greater Seattle area. She can be found online at ruthsmar.com