This season, we’re going beyond the music to share fun insights and behind-the-scenes stories about the musicians of your Tucson Symphony Orchestra. We’re fortunate to share the stage with incredible artists that join us from all over the world and right here in our Southern Arizona region. We’re excited to present this backstage pass to get to know the faces behind the music.
Ben Albertson joined the TSO as Principal Harp in September 2023. Ben has performed across the United States, Canada, and Europe for more than 18 years. In 2022, he was one of five Americans selected to represent the country at the USA International Harp Competition, and the following year earned the Grand Prize title in the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs’ Emerging Soloists Competition.
In addition to his work with the TSO, Ben regularly performs as a guest with the Phoenix Symphony and was appointed as the adjunct professor of harp at the University of Arizona. He continues to collaborate and perform around the world through summer festivals, solo concerts, and special engagements—including an appearance at Carnegie Hall this summer!
Ben’s family may not have been professional musicians, but music was always close by: his mother, who works in cybersecurity, played piano for several years, while his father, a retired oceanographer, now brings his own rhythm to samba percussion. After taking their son to see harpist Emmanual Ceysson, they noticed Ben’s intrigue for the instrument and, soon after, presented him with his first harp. Ben explored other instruments including the piano, flute, and saxophone, but it was the harp that stuck.
“They were very supportive of my musical pursuits – in high school they drove me more than three hours round trip every weekend so I could take harp lessons and attend Seattle Youth Symphony rehearsals.”
For many listeners, the harp recalls fairy tales and whimsical melodies—but Ben is quick to point out that the instrument is far more versatile and expressive than its storybook reputation suggests. Ben plays a wide variety of music from Disney to demanding concert repertoire with the TSO. He clears up a few common misconceptions and shares what makes the harp such a captivating instrument.
“People think it is inaccessible to learn or understand harp. You can start with a simple rental instrument for a reasonable price. People think of it as a sideways piano, but there are many differences.”
“For example, the sound quality of the harp is made entirely by the hands. The seven pedals have nothing to do with sound (like with the piano) but are for changing the sharps and flats. Harpists must muffle or dampen with their hands all of the sound they don’t want to resonate, while the piano dampens automatically if the piano’s sustain pedal is not held. In the middle of the strings, you have a warm and lush sound. Further down, it sounds more like a Spanish guitar.”
Growing up in Washington, surrounded by the lush green valleys, mountain landscapes, and the ocean, Ben developed a deep love for the outdoors. He spent much of his childhood hiking, skiing, kayaking, and sailing. Sailing, he says, is something he might have pursued more seriously had the harp not become his path.
“I was performing Debussy’s Clair de Lune at my middle school’s graduation ceremony, and I knew that I wanted to be doing this for the rest of my life. It was just so beautiful, and I couldn’t imagine life doing anything else.”