Chapter of the Year

Congratulations to the Central Illinois Roslyn Rensch  Chapter for being named the 2023 Chapter of the Year.

Any active Chapter of the American Harp Society, Inc. may apply for the Chapter of the Year award. The winning chapter will be determined by a majority vote of the Executive Committee after they have had an opportunity to evaluate the materials, and will receive an award of $300.00.  The announcement will be made at the annual event of the American Harp Society, Inc., preferably at the Annual Membership meeting.

The application should list activities including completed and projected projects from the previous annual meeting to the upcoming annual meeting (July through June). Activities must be documented in detail with accompanying programs, clippings, and photographs. All materials must be submitted online in one PDF file (10MB or less) by May 15th.

Chapters considering an application may find the recent Chapter of the Year summaries helpful.

To learn more, read The American Harp Journal stories on earlier Chapters of the Year. 

Complete Chapters of the Year list (PDF)

Apply today!

Criteria for selection of the Chapter of the Year:

1. The Chapter must be in good standing and in compliance with AHS, Inc. policies, (i.e. bylaws on file, annual reports submitted to the Membership Secretary.)

2. The activities of the Chapter will be evaluated in terms of fulfillment of the Mission Statement of the American Harp Society, Inc.  Activities may often incorporate more than one mission element.

Our mission is to celebrate our legacy, inspire excellence, and empower the next generation of harpists.

A. "Celebrate our legacy"

• Tap the interesting historic resources of the International Harp Archives and AHS Lending Library for Chapter activities and workshops
• Perform works made available through the AHS Sponsored Publications
• Honor long-time local harpists and teachers
• Seek media coverage of harp events in the community
• Publish an effective chapter newsletter

B. "Inspire excellence"

• Presentation of the AHS, Inc. Concert Artist and National Competition Winners in recital
• Apply for an AHS, Inc. grant to support an exciting or innovative project
• Encourage volunteer performances in the community
• Offer assistance to composers and arrangers in understanding and effectively writing for the harp.
• Commission harp compositions and offer competitions and prizes for musical works featuring the harp.
• Program recent works for harp written by local composers.

C. "Empower the next generation of harpists"

• Establish close working relationships with local music schools and faculties
• Sponsor Music Education & Evaluation Auditions
• Offer scholarships for continued study or National Conference attendance
• Offer harp repair clinics
• Present a local “Harp Day” with workshops and performances
• Introduce interested youth and adults to the instrument in casual settings during workshops, post-concert receptions, etc.

For further information contact the President of the AHS, Inc.

Apply today!