Constance Harding Uejio
Harp
Constance was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and her parents are Rev. Marvin and Dorace Harding. She began her musical training on piano in 2nd grade studying with her uncle, Emerson Harding. When the family moved to Reading, PA piano studies continued with Ruth Kitzmiller Snyder. She soloed with the Reading Symphony in December of 1964, playing a movement of Haydn’s “Concerto in D Major”.
Since the age of three, Connie had been interested in the harp, and in 7th grade her parents cashed in their insurance policies to buy Connie her first harp, a rebuilt Lyon-Healy made in Chicago in the 1920’s. Her first teacher was Dorothy Knauss, of Allentown, PA (there was no harp teacher in Reading!). During high school, Connie also continued with her piano studies and accompanied many choirs in the Pennsylvania area. Harp continued to be her focus though as she soloed with the Reading Symphony in 1969, playing a movement of the Dittersdorf “Concerto for Harp”. She also performed with the Allentown Band, the Reading Pops Orchestra, at churches, with various choirs, chamber ensembles, etc.
Upon graduation from Exeter High School, Connie attended the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. Her teacher was Eileen Malone. Connie was awarded the Performer’s Certificate upon graduation from Eastman. She has performed as 2nd Harpist with the Rochester Philharmonic with her teacher, the Buffalo Philharmonic under Michael Tilson Thomas, the Syracuse Symphony, and as Principal Harpist with other orchestras in the upstate New York area.
Connie was selected for several summers of private study with Marcel Grandjany, the eminent founder of the harp department at the Juilliard School in NYC, and an internationally-renowned concert artist.
In 1978, Connie and the family (husband Glenn, and children Rebecca and Steven) moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. Connie continued with music-making, as 2nd Harpist with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and performing with various groups around the state. Kirk was born in 1980, and in 1981 Connie won the Principal Harp position with the Honolulu Symphony. She has just completed her 25th season as Principal Harpist. All three children are happily married and living in various places around the United States. Glenn continues to work hard at his business, “The Slipper House”, a very busy retail store in Ala Moana Center.
Besides her role as the Principal Harpist of the Honolulu Symphony, Connie teaches harp privately, plays the organ at Central Union Church for weddings and funerals, and does freelance solo harp work.
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