JUNE PROGRAM: Olivia Swaan - Irish Harpist & Singer
by Perry Korszen
The June Luncheon Program started with President George Tracy, assisted by Scholarship Director Claire Power, presenting the final two SMOSF scholarships for the year to Kathryn Beck of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School and Cassandra Golembeski of Riverview High School.
The program continued with a wonderful performance by Olivia Swaan, an accomplished and well-known harpist and singer of Irish music. With “We are the makers of music, the dreamers of dreams” she prefaced each of her captivating harp and vocal pieces with beautiful poetry and introduced her audience of 117 luncheon participants to Ireland’s heart and soul.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, Olivia studied the harp at the “Irish College of Music” at the age of 12, and toured extensively throughout Europe and the United States. She now resides in Sarasota, and is President of the Artist Series Concerts Friends.
Olivia’s light and tender voice, her recital of poetry, and the graceful sounds of her harp kept her audience spellbound and wishing for time to stand still. She captivated everyone with her renditions of “Steal away”. “I talk to Trees” and “The Salley Gardens, as did her closing with “Danny Boy.”
We thank Margarete and Russ Wiltshire for introducing us to Olivia Swaan and her very special music.
Olivia donated the receipts from the sale at the luncheon of her latest DVD album, “The Swan in the Evening” to the Scholarship Fund and we extend our sincere thanks to her.
