Christina SonnemannBorn 6th September 1981, Christina Sonnemann began studying harp at age 8 and voice at 14. Her skills have since expanded to teaching, composition and recording.
She has developed into a communicative and diverse musician and established herself as a loved and highly identifiable young Tasmanian performer.
So far, Christina’s solo performance career has taken her around Australia and to Ireland, England, the United States, Denmark, Norway, France and the Channel Islands. She has also conducted workshops and masterclasses in Australia, England and the Channel Islands, including a highly successful workshop as part of the City of London Festival 2005.
Wherever possible, Christina endeavours to promote Tasmanian music, culture and art, resulting in a growing perception of her as uniquely Australian and something of a cultural ambassador for her island State.
Christina began giving concerts in remote Tasmanian communities at the request of State Regional Arts Councils while still in her teens. Now, her time is spent performing internationally, teaching harp, composing and recording (frequently on her own record label, Freckled Records).
The first person in Tasmania to gain an Associate of Music, Australia, of the Australian Music Examinations Board in the subject of Harp, she has also studied specialist facets of harp playing in the US and the UK, choosing to focus on genres less explored in the Australian harp community, such as harp/voice performance and jazz arranging/performing.
Christina is a passionate advocate of the harp, working to promote the instrument locally – from schoolrooms to Tasmania’s major concert venues – and to forge ties with the international music community.
To that end, Christina founded the Harp Society of Tasmania in 2003, possibly the fastest-growing association of its kind in Australia, and currently serves as President.
As a sought-after teacher of harp, she maintains teaching studios in three locations across Tasmania. Christina has also pioneered a one-on-one residential harp "immersion" course and webcam harp lessons.
In 2003, Christina made her international debut at the Stamford International Harp Festival in England (and reappeared at the Festival in 2005).
In 2004 she performed in the Closing Night Concert as the youngest Guest Artist at the inaugural Australian Harp Festival in Canberra. She also won 2nd place in the Festival’s Young Performers’ Competition.
In April 2005, Christina presented a solo recital for 10 Days on the Island. This recital was selected for national broadcast on ABC Classic FM. She also performed a solo electro-harp score written for her for the Garden of Paradise, the major theatre centre-piece of the festival.
Christina has merged her interests in harp, voice, arranging/composing and bringing the harp to a wider audience by performing light jazz. This attracted an invitation to present a concert and workshop as part of the City of London Festival 2005.
Also in 2005, Christina worked intensively with students majoring in Composition at the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, resulting in a World Premiere performance of five new pieces for solo harp. She has also assisted Tasmania’s finest composers and theatre artists in the development of new music for harp.
She is the dedicatee of Three Country Sketches for Solo Harp by distinguished Tasmanian composer Don Kay.
Christina is also a member of the Australian Songwriters’ Association and was a Finalist in the Instrumental category of the Australian Songwriters’ Awards 2005 with a poignant work for harp and ‘cello, Rathvinden, inspired by her experiences in Ireland.
Also in 2005, her performance of her original harp solo Bumble Bee was broadcast nationally on ABC Classic FM and her piece Island Magic: an improvisation for harp ensemble was premiered by the Jersey Harp School in the Channel Islands.
Recently, Christina’s entry into one of the largest songwriting awards in the world, the US-based Song of the Year, received a special commendation from the staff.
In early 2006, Christina was chosen as a semi-finalist in two categories of the Southern Cross Tasmanian Young Achiever of the Year Awards, not only in the Arts category, but also in the new Spirit of Tasmania Award.
In July 2006, Christina has proud to be invited as one of a select group of Australian musicians to travel to France to represent Australia at the world’s largest Celtic festival, the Festival Interceltique Lorient (the Festival chose Australia as its “Country of Honour†for the first time in 2006).
Although solo performance is her priority, Christina enjoys working with ensembles and orchestras and is a member of the Melbourne-based contemporary improvised music group Sunwrae Ensemble. In 2005, Christina made her concerto debut with the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra in Tennessee, playing the Harp Concerto in Bflat Major by Handel.
As well as appearing on collaborative recordings, she has released three albums of her own: a solo album, The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, an album with her trio, Eden, and her new album Christina’s World (released on [clickable:] Freckled Records ). The latter two feature her original music.
Christina has been successful in raising funds through benefit performances for organisations dedicated to serving Tasmania (such as the Salvation Army, the Tasmanian Council for AIDS/Hepatitis and Related Diseases, the Clifford Craig Medical Research Trust, Launceston City Mission and the National Trust).
Other performances in 2006 include Mozart Concerto for Flute & Harp, solo recitals in Norway, England, Ireland, Memphis (Tennessee, US, for the American Harp Society), Brisbane and at the Australian Harp Festival in Adelaide.
2007 saw her playing at a Hollywood Awards Gala, Recording 2 new albums and off on another international tour.
Marrying Peirce Baehr Dec 30, 2007! see http//:www.christina-peirce.com
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