Alfredo Rolando Ortiz - Harp for Quiet Moments

ALFREDO ROLANDO ORTIZ was featured soloist at the Opening Concert of the First World Harp Congress in Holland, in 1983, performing his own compositions.
Born in Cuba on December 10, 1946, Alfredo emigrated to Venezuela in 1958 and in 1961 began studying the Venezuelan harp with a friend from school. A year later he became a pupil of Alberto Romero on the PARAGUAYAN HARP. In 1964 he began medical studies in Colombia, South America, and also began performing professionally, recording his first album. He graduated in 1970 from Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia.
Dr. Ortiz has recorded over thirty albums and has concertized in North, Central and South America and Europe. He also teaches and is the author of two books about the Latin-American harps and their music.
Among his many important recitals are: The International Harp Week in Holland in 1979 and 1980, The First International Folk Harp Conference in San Diego, California in 1984 and the Edinburgh (Scotland) Harp Festival International in 1987. In July of 1987 he performed at the Mozart Hall, in Vienna, Austria, during the Third World Harp Congress, in front of an audience which included 700 classical harpists from around the world.
What he considers his "most important concert" was playing in the delivery room during the birth of his second daughter on New Year's Eve, 1980.
THE PARAGUAYAN HARP: Since their origin with the Spanish harps of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, different types of harps and musical styles were developed throughout South America and Mexico. The Paraguayan Harp is the most popular of these. All hand made of wood, very light (10 pounds), it has 36 nylon strings (gut in the past) and it is the "National Instrument" of Paraguay.

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