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Not your average harper, Asni belongs to a generation of young harpists who have been pushing the limits of the instrument well beyond the usual repertory of Celtic folk tunes and classical easy listening. Her international standing as an innovative and exciting performer was confirmed when she was invited to appear at the World Harp Congress in Dublin in 2005, and at the Edinburgh International Harp Festival 2006 – the two most prestigious international events in the world of harping. She is featured in the BBC World Service's documentary "Destination Music – Scotland", which covers contemporary trends in the ancient harp tradition.

Since 2003, Asni is living in Wellington, NZ, where she has been teaching at Victoria University Wellington. She has quickly become an integral part of the New Zealand performing circuit, playing at events as diverse as the Wellington Fringe Festival, the Parihaka International Peace Festival, and a Medieval jousting tourney in Taupo. In 2005, she toured for Chamber Music New Zealand with her innovative programme "700 years of Pop", which is also available on cd. Her newest programme "Travels in Middle Earth" has been performed to much acclaim both in New Zealand and on Asni's recent European tour, which took her to Scotland, Germany, Sweden and the Czech Republic.

Asni specializes in playing authentic reconstructions of medieval and baroque harps, but her repertory is not restricted to music of those periods: She has adapted contemporary pop and film tunes, including Beatles songs and themes from the "Lord of the Rings" soundtrack, improvises fluently, and writes her own compositions.

Prior to settling in New Zealand, Asni has performed widely in Europe and the United States. She has worked with well-known ensembles such as Chanticleer and the Mark Morris Dance Group (U.S.A.), and has taken part in Opera productions in Amsterdam, New York, Rome and at the famous Drottningholm theatre near Stockholm, Sweden. She has participated in a number of CD recordings, as well as radio- and TV-productions. From 1993 to 1999, she was a member of New York early music ensemble ARTEK/458 strings.

As well as being an accomplished performer, Asni holds an M.A. in music history and theory. In 2004 she founded The Harp& Hobbit Press, which publishes a range of sheet music. She is always happy to share her profound knowledge of European culture and music as a lecturer, coach or in an advisory position to projects where historical accuracy is required such as films, events, theatre or radio shows.

Asni's recordings and publications are available on www.asni.net

last updated: 10 September, 2007