Stephanie Bennett (harpist)
Stephanie Bennett | |
|---|---|
| Born | Stephanie Bennett |
| Other name | Stephanie Pelz |
| Occupations |
|
Stephanie Bennett is a harpist, composer, arranger and vocalist who lives in Los Angeles. She plays popular music, jazz, and other contemporary music genres.[1]
Early life and education
Stephanie Pelz was born to doctors Edith and Donald Pelz in Ann Arbour, Michigan.[2] She attended Huron High School in Ann Arbour.[3] She studied classical harp performance with Ruth Dean Clark and composition with Leslie Bassett and Ross Lee Finney at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1976.[4] While at university she was named a James B Angell scholar.[5] She continued her music studies at the Dick Grove School of Music and at UCLA Extension.
Career
Bennett has performed in the United States, Japan,[6] Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Uruguay, Panama, France and Switzerland, including solo harp performances of her own compositions at the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), as a guest artist at the International Music Seminars in Montpelier, France, and at the International Conference on Women in Music. She has performed for President Obama, the President of Israel, and the President of Ireland.
In 1984 Bennett joined the American folk-music group The New Christy Minstrels for a U.S. tour.[7] Later the same year she toured as part of the band of R&B artist Bobby Womack, along with frequent guest artist Sly Stone.[8][9] In 1989, she gave a solo harp performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.[10] In 1999, she was invited by the Los Angeles World Affairs Council to perform Irish music for the President of Ireland upon the president's visit to Los Angeles.[11]
Bennett lives in the Los Angeles area, where she composes, records and produces her own CDs, composes and produces music that has been heard on television shows such as Bones, Murphy Brown, Party of Five and The Single Guy, and on the feature film A Time For Dancing. She writes musical arrangements for other artists (including arrangements for rocker Ozzy Osbourne, Native American flute player Golana, Celtic fiddler Mary Barton, and New Age ensemble Midnight Skye). She composes chamber music which has been performed by ensembles such as "Entr'amis" (classical harp, flute and viola trio), and "Campanile", (renowned contemporary handbell ensemble).
Bennett plays harp on soundtracks for movies and television, and plays harp on recordings by many other artists, including the The Dixie Chicks, Sir Paul McCartney, LeAnn Rimes, Lamb, Linda Ronstadt, Everlast, Good Charlotte, Beck,[12] Adele, Miyuki Nakajima, and Ray Conniff. She teaches harp students, and writes lyrics which have been recorded by other vocalists, as well as writing music for other vocalists.
She has toured with groups as diverse as R&B legend Bobby Womack, big band Ray Conniff Singers & Orchestra, Persian singing star Dariush, Mexican superstars Vicente & Alejandro Fernandez, and Canadian band Cowboy Celtic. Bennett was part of American balladeer group, The Bards of FoDLA. She produced their album Sacred Oaks (2012) through Harpworld Music Co.
Bennett has appeared onscreen, including:
- TV: American Idol, Celine Dion's 1998 Christmas special, Sinatra, Bones, Murphy Brown, Falcon Crest, Sisters and Picket Fences
- Film: The Sweetest Thing, The Other Sister, Love Affair, Gypsy, Cobb, A Romantic Christmas by John Tesh,
- Music videos: Trisha Yearwood, Aerosmith
Honors
In 1979, Bennett won first prize in the Second Salvi International Competition of Jazz and Pop Harp.[13] The Hollywood Reporter has called her "one of our country's top harpists".[14]
Discography
Recording artist
| Year | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | A Present for the Future | Frank Gambale |
| 1991 | 'S Always Conniff | Ray Conniff |
| 1992 | So You Fell in Love with a Musician... | Pat Smear |
| 1995 | 40th Anniversary | Ray Conniff |
| 1997 | I Love Movies | Ray Conniff |
| 1997 | Live in Rio | Ray Conniff |
| 1998 | My Way | Ray Conniff |
| 1999 | 'S Country | Ray Conniff |
| 1999 | 'S Christmas | Ray Conniff |
| 1999 | The Wedding Album | Northsound Music |
| 2000 | Eat at Whitey's | Everlast |
| 2002 | Sea Change[15] | Beck |
| 2002 | Twisted Angel | LeAnn Rimes |
| 2003 | Between Darkness and Wonder | Lamb |
| 2004 | The Chronicles of Life and Death | Good Charlotte |
| 2004 | Unicorn's Journey (Harp and Grand Piano for relaxation and meditation) | Wrightwood Records |
| 2005 | Chaos and Creation in the Backyard | Paul McCartney |
| 2006 | Taking the Long Way | The Dixie Chicks |
| A Merry Little Christmas | Linda Ronstadt | |
| 2006 | Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose | Meat Loaf |
| 2006 | The Best Day Ever | SpongeBob SquarePants |
| 2007 | World of Warcraft Taverns of Azeroth | David Arkenstone |
| 2011 | 21 | Adele |
| 2011 | Sing it for Japan | My Chemical Romance |
| Celtic Romance | David Arkenstone | |
| High Plateaux | Rubaja & Hernandez | |
| New Land | Bernardo Rubaja | |
| Christmas Collection Volume 2 | Narada Records | |
| Like the Wind | James Durst | |
| La Belle Dame | Susan Craig Winsberg | |
| Celtic Love Songs | Susan Craig Winsberg | |
| A Child is Born | Midnight Skye | |
| Celtic Music for Stress Relief | Lifescapes | |
| Harmony (previously Music from Big Sur) | Michael Benghiat | |
| Juan Gabriel | BMG Latin | |
| Fairy Ring | Miyuki Nakajima | |
| Walk Between Worlds | Golana | |
| Moon of First Snow | Golana | |
| Shots in the Dark | Del-Fi Records | |
| Songs of a Wondering Minstrel | James Durst | |
| New Life | Prince Diabate | |
| Celtic Music for Stress Relief | Lifescapes |
Producer
| Year | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Stories Seldom Told | Harpworld Music Co. |
| 1993 | Imaginocean | Harpworld Music Co. |
| 1999 | Bardina's Forest | Harpworld Music Co |
| 2000 | Avalon: Celtic Music for Relaxation | At Peace Music |
| 2003 | Lumiere: Baroque Music for Relaxation | At Peace Music |
| 2009 | Voyage of the Dreamer | Harpworld Music Co. |
Composer and arranger
| Year | Album | Artist | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | A Child Is Born | Midnight Skye | Arrangement |
| 1999 | Walk Between Worlds | Golana, Oginali | Arrangement |
| 1999 | La Belle Dame | Susan Craig Winsberg | Arrangement |
| 1999 | Changing Seasons | Mary Barton | Arrangement |
| 2000 | Celtic Cello | Marston Smith | Arrangement |
| 2000 | Nocturnal Journeys | Campanile | Composition |
| 2002 | Moon of First Snow | Golana, Oginali | Arrangement |
| White Chocolate | Campanile | Composition | |
| America Speaks From the Heart | Centurion Productions | Composition | |
| Murphy Brown | TV show | Composition for two episodes | |
| The Single Guy | TV show | Composition | |
| A Time for Dreaming | Film | Composition |
Bennett also wrote lyrics which appeared on two albums, Note Worker and Thunder from Down Under, by Frank Gambale.
References
- ↑ "City harpist places high in contest". The Ann Arbour News. Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA. October 29, 1978. p. 6.
- ↑ "U Graduate wins harp competition". The Ann Arbour News. Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA. August 14, 1979. p. 36.
- ↑ "3 arts winners from Huron High". Ann Arbour News. Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA. May 24, 1972. p. 15.
- ↑ "U Graduate wins harp competition". The Ann Arbour News. Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA. August 14, 1979. p. 36.
- ↑ "City harpist places high in contest". The Ann Arbour News. Ann Arbour, Michigan, USA. October 29, 1978. p. 6.
- ↑ "5 harpists on single program". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, CA, USA. April 16, 1980. p. 20.
- ↑ "Harpist Stephanie Bennett". Baker City Herald. Baker City, Oregon, USA. October 4, 1984. p. 3.
- ↑ "Sly Stone, Stephanie Bennett, Bobby Womack on tour". www.harpworld.com.
- ↑ Bennett, Stephanie. "Sly Stone, Stephanie Bennett, Bobby Womack on tour". www.harpworld.com.
- ↑ International Harp Archives
- ↑ American Harp Journal, Winter 2000, page 52
- ↑ Randall Roberts (April 4, 2014). "Phase Shifter". Ventura County Star. Ventura, CA, USA. p. 270.
- ↑ American Harp Journal, Winter 1979
- ↑ Hollywood Reporter, October 30, 1980 (Hank Grant, 'Rambling Reporter' column)
- ↑ Brian Passey. "Beck issues 'Sea Change' sequel; Notwist returns". thespectrum.com. Retrieved July 18, 2026.