Julia Haines

Julia Haines is a visionary harpist, composer, and music therapist based in New York’s Hudson Valley. Her distinctive approach to the lever harp blends Celtic melodies, West African polyrhythms, improvisation, and classical roots, resulting in a sound that is both grounded and transcendent. A First Prize winner in both harp and voice at Ireland’s O’Carolan Festival, Haines has been called a “harper among harpists” and is known for her genre-defying fusion of global traditions.

Trained at the Creative Music Studio and influenced by mentors such as kora master Alhaji Bai Konte, Haines views music as a form of healing energy. Her performances—whether in concert halls, forest clearings, or community centers—invite listeners into meditative, earth-centered soundscapes. She has created and performed works such as “HARP: Heal / Attend / Refresh / Presence” for the O+ Festival and regularly appears at venues like the Rail Trail Cafe, where her improvisations celebrate the natural world and our place within it.

In addition to performing, Haines is deeply engaged in education and community healing. She leads singing circles, offers introductory harp workshops with student harps, and brings therapeutic music into schools, hospitals, and senior centers. Her music is available on Bandcamp, including her seminal album Odyssey: An Exploration of Afro-Celtic-Harp-Fusion, and she continues to explore the role of music as a bridge between cultures, generations, and inner and outer worlds.