Biography
Born in Schenectady, harpist Elizabeth Meriwether Huntley holds degrees from Union College, Boston University, and the New England Conservatory of Music. For fifteen years she lived in Boston where she was one of the leading harpists in both the popular and classical fields. As an entertainer, she played nightly at the prestigious downtown Hotel Colonnade for eight years, as well as appearing regularly at other fine Boston hotels, such as the Ritz Carlton, the Copley Plaza, and the Four Seasons. In the Capital District area, she has had steady engagements at the Queensbury Hotel, the Prime Hotel and the Desmond Hotel.
The classical side of her career includes performances with the opera companies of Boston, New York City, Glimmerglass, and Lake George, as well as with the orchestras of Springfield, Hartford, Albany, Schenectady, and Glens Falls. She has been a guest soloist several times with both the Glens Falls and Schenectady symphonies. She also appeared as a member of the Boston Orchestra in MGM's film Yes, Giorgio, starring Luciano Pavarotti.
On the lighter side, Ms. Huntley has played for the Irish Tenors, Garrison Keillor, Josh Groban, Bobby Vinton, Barry Manilow, Melissa Manchester, Johnny Mathis, Steve and Eydie, Manhattan Transfer, Olivia Newton John, and Roger Daltrey. She has played at Saratoga's famous Caffè Lena. She has also played for the touring companies of Evita and Chorus Line, for Cathy Rigby's Peter Pan, Marie Osmond's Sound of Music and for both Richard Harris' and Robert Goulet's Camelot. She has played premieres of The Snow Queen and Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates for the New York State Theatre Institute, A Little Night Music at Capital Repertory Theatre, and The Fantasticks at the Cohoes Music Hall, as well as for the annual production of The Night before Christman with the Adirondack Repertory Dance Theatre.
She performs regularly throughout the Capital District and lower Adirondack Region, where she is greatly in demand for weddings, parties, and corporate functions. Elizabeth Huntley is the harp instructor at both Adirondack Community College and Skidmore College. She has also taught English at both schools. In 1998, Ms Huntley was named editor of The American Harp Journal, the official publication of the American Harp Society.
High resolution photos are available from this site.
