In October 2012 my album Glass: Metamorphosis/The Hours was released on Channel Classics. It reached a Platinum status in the Netherlands within half a year. I have worked together with Philip Glass and with his approval made transcriptions for the harp. Here are some of my recollections:
“My first encounter with Philip Glass in 2011 was truly one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. As a harpist I feel greatly privileged to have such new experiences – not only on stage, but also behind the scenes.”
“Collaboration with composers is an important aspect of this, and new ideas not infrequently arise through personal encounters and mutual inspiration. This was certainly the case when I met Phil, who had never before heard his Metamorphosis live on the harp. After my initial nervosity, tension soon melted away when I played the opening bars and he remarked ‘that sounds beautiful!’.”
“After this special encounter, I looked into other pieces by Glass that could be played on the harp. I had heard him play Opening Piece from Glassworks himself, a very beautiful piece in its seemingly unending interchange between the two hands. The film music for The Hours was a more tricky challenge. After examining the original score and the piano version I came to the conclusion that not all the movements could be arranged for the harp. But I managed to adapt six of the eleven numbers, working them out with the sound of the orchestral version in mind. I hope this CD will add an extra dimension to the performance practice of Glass’s most frequently performed works.”