All female chamberfolk trio Harpeth Rising toured Singapore from February 28 to March 2 as part of U.S. Department of State’s American Music Abroad cultural exchange program. Their local program included school visits, public performances, and a cross-cultural musical collaboration. Harpeth Rising is made up of three classically trained musicians – violinist and lead lyricist Jordana Greenberg, cellist Maria Di Meglio, and banjoist Michelle Younger – playing original music blending elements of American folk, newgrass, rock, and classical into something organically unique.
The Harpeth Rising tour kicked off with a visit to the School of the Arts (SOTA) where the band members were really impressed by the engaged students, inspiring faculty, and amazing facilities. The young music students were eager to learn about the band’s creative process for writing their own songs.
A group of string musicians at Crescent Girls’ School were inspired by the performances and talk by Harpeth Rising and the lucky few who performed also enjoyed a mini-masterclass with Jordana.
On Friday evening, Harpeth Rising helped students and teachers at LASALLE College of the Arts kick off their weekend with a lively exchange and series of performances, together with local musicians Echo City and Hadi Hamid.
Performing at the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Market Square fair was a great start to a fun-filled Saturday for Harpeth Rising.
The highlight of their visit was an exciting cross-cultural musical collaboration with Orkestra Melayu Singapura (Singapore Malay Orchestra), where they played together one of Harpeth Rising’s songs “Shifted,” and a traditional Malay song, “Joget Pahang.”
Finally, Harpeth Rising rounded out their tour with a rousing public performance at Timbre X at the Arts House.