Kim Robertson

Classically trained on the harp, Kim Robertson achieved her most lasting impact after redirecting her focus toward the Celtic harp. Beyond releasing multiple memorable solo albums, she has issued seven collections of Celtic harp arrangements and produced two instructional videos. Among her recordings are several meditative tapes made in collaboration with the vocalist and Kundalini Yoga practitioner Singh Kaur. Until the mid-’70s she had minimal exposure to Celtic music; although she possessed a small Celtic harp and subscribed to Folk Harp Journal, it was only after participating in a Vermont workshop led by Christina Tourin, Derek Bell of the Chieftains, and the pedal harp teacher and historian Roslyn Rensch that she fully immersed herself in the instrument’s folk heritage. Galvanized by that experience, she immersed herself in the breadth of Celtic harp repertoire. While she absorbed the traditional canon, her command of improvisation allowed her to move beyond the instrument’s customary boundaries. She began piano studies at eight, then changed to the pedal, or orchestral, harp in her final year of high school. Entering college as a music major, she later transferred to the French department and completed two years of a study-abroad program in France. After relocating to Santa Barbara, California, in 1979, she drew swift notice for her inventive approach; her first album, Wind Shadows, artfully blended traditional Irish melodies with original pieces.