Lucile Brais Hildesheim – Ontario
pedal and lever harpist . composer . teacher
Winter. I was born on a mild January day. In fact Mozart and I share the same birthday (though a few hundred years apart). I’m told there was a fair amount of snow on the ground the day of my arrival. How perfect. Winter has always been my favourite season. Winter light has a gentle brilliance, a sharp focus. Snow sparkles myriad blues, my favourite colour. Sunsets are brief yet powerful in their gentleness. Shorter days make you appreciate the special quality of winter light. Cold air has a way of making you feel alive. Warm sweaters, hot drinks, and skis waiting at the door, promising adventure. I think being a snow baby influences who you are – resilience, motion, clarity, joy, determination, energy …
And … Christmas! I grew up trekking the woods on snowshoes to cut our Christmas tree… I’d barely graduated McGill when the call came for my first major Christmas concert, Rutter’s Dancing Day with Wayne Riddell and the choir of St. Andrew’s and St. Paul’s in Montreal – the annual CBC live Christmas broadcast. What a thrill to discover the joy of harp & choir. December is the best concert month – how many Ceremony of Carols so far?! I’ve had the joy of producing/recording two Christmas albums, my own (Noël) and with my flute and harp duo sheila&lucile (When Winter Comes). Two of my favourite tracks: I build Winter Suite around two favourite carols plus an improv that illustrates snowflakes dancing in the wind. When Winter Comes is by Chris de Burgh, which I feel sounds like the wistfulness of a short winter day.
The majesty of Winter has influenced my life. I did live in warmer climes once upon a time, where I missed the cycle of the seasons – their uniqueness of light, colour and vibe. But most of all, I missed Winter! – Lucile Brais Hildesheim
Have a listen to Winter…
Harpist Lucile Brais Hildesheim has three passions: music, art and snow. And not always in that order! Growing up in Montreal, her musical journey began when she was eight, still too small to reach the pedals of the concert harp, but determined to learn to play. Her determination never wavered and eventually led her to McGill University and a Bachelor of Music in Performance, and a séjour at the University of Western Ontario. Her teachers (Josée Amyot and Marie Lorcini) instilled in her the Grandjany school of thought: it’s not about you, it’s about the harp. Hence her lifelong quest for the perfect sound, dynamics and phrasing to tell the story of every piece. For Lucile, music is an expression of colour and texture.
Soon after graduation she was a finalist in the CBC National Music Competition; a position of harpist in residence was created for her at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity; and a beautiful relationship with the CBC and Radio-Canada began, with many studio recordings and concert broadcasts.
Her solo, concerto and chamber music concerts have taken her across Canada, to Europe and the United States, and to summer festivals at Lanaudière and Le Domaine Forget, as well as to Ottawa’s Music and Beyond festival. She has also performed with the Ottawa Jazz Orchestra, and in the Ottawa Jazz Festival. She has produced three solo harp albums and published some of her compositions and arrangements.
Curious to explore a wide range of music, she loves to push boundaries, and often brings a variety of harps, each with its own voice and personality, to the stage. From classical to traditional, the musical journey continues with effects pedals added to her electric harp. Improv, arranging … life is all about discovery!
Lucile is particularly fond of playing with choirs, especially at Christmas. Choir conductors value her sensitive accompaniment skills and have included her in many concerts and recordings.
In 2002, she premiered the Concerto for Celtic Harp by Canadian composer Mark Mitchell, which was reprised as a chamber piece with members of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra; in 2012 she played its American premiere in New York City.
Lucile teaches both classical and celtic harp to young and mature students at her studio in Ottawa, Canada. She encourages improvisation and exploration. Her students have won gold medals and even a JUNO! A member of the Royal College of Examiners, she is a harp examiner for the Royal Conservatory, and is in demand as an adjudicator across Canada. She is currently president of the Ontario Harp Society and editor of the Musical Arts Club of Ottawa newsletter.
Flute and Harp! Lucile and flutist Sheila White make up the duo sheila&lucile, who perform classical, traditional, and new music, painting captivating soundscapes with their unique genre-fluid arrangements. The duo’s creativity and mastery shine through in their albums, each a finely crafted array of musical colours and textures expressed through a variety of harps and flutes.
Over four decades in, the journey continues…
And what about art and snow? Art remains a vital part of Lucile’s journey – she completed the creative musical process by painting the cover art of her album Noël as well as the harps that illustrate her print music. A certified ski instructor, she’s carved tracks in the Alps and the Rockies. Her sketch book travels with her to capture life as it unfolds.
Lucile’s harps: Lyon & Healy 23 Concert Grand; Josephus Dayspring 38 lever harp; Salvi Delta electric harp; and her camping harp, a Haydn Harp carbon fibre 24.
Find her at lucilebharp.com and sheilalucile.com
Harp, Oh Canada 