“THORN IS POISED TO EMERGE AS A RADICAL HARPIST, COMPOSER, AND INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS INNOVATOR”
-ALEXANDER VARTY, GEORGIA STRAIGHT
RECENT RELEASES
God Complex (2022) from chamber pop trio Gentle Party
The Years In Between (2021)
Earth Leaps Up (Feb 2020) from piano/harp duo The Giving Shapes
Flowers For Your Heart (2019), Elisa Thorn’s HUE
Jouska (2017), from avant chamber-pop group Gentle Party
The Other Side (2019), Elisa Thorn’s HUE & Laura Swankey
Live at Fylkingen (2020), Like the Mind
Selenotropic (2019), avant pop from Elisa Thorn
Stilts (2021), Elisa Thorn w/ Laura Swankey & Michael Malis
PROJECTS
The Years in Between
Flowing through different scenes and spaces, the 26-minute piece is a
MEDITATION / ABSTRACT NARRATIVE / EXPLORATION recorded with Elisa’s Camac DHC and Lyon & Healy 85E harps, a Boss RC-300 looping pedal, and GarageBand.
Gentle Party
Gentle Party is an avant chamber pop ensemble that pioneers a unique, expansive sound distinct to the quartet’s West Coast roots. Elisa is joined by Jessicka (voice), Meredith Bates (violin), Shanto Acharia (cello).
The Giving Shapes
Elisa is joined by pianist Robyn Jacob, bringing together their innovative & subversive compositional techniques in a tightly arranged, beautiful collaboration.
HUE
HUE tackles two artistic objectives: firstly, how to create music that is both abstract and accessible; and secondly, how to lead a band with harp in a way does not compromise sensitivity with it’s boldness, or aesthetic beauty with it’s curiosity.
Like The Mind
Like the Mind is a new instrumental ensemble led by Meredith Bates made up of six award-winning female musicians from Canada and Sweden. Peggy Lee (cello), Lisa Ullén (piano), Meredith Bates (violin), Lisen Rylander Löve (saxophone), Elisa Thorn (harp), and Emma Augustsson (cello).
PAST PROJECTS
Star Triptych
Featuring Toronto musicians David Riddel (guitar) and Laura Swankey (voice), Star Triptych bridges improv, composition, extended techniques & electronic effects to capture and communicate beauty.
Jazz Bras Dot Com
Jazz Bras Dot Com is loud, soft, edged and curved. The trio is completed with Laura Swankey (voice) and Jessica Ackerley (guitar).
Written on the Body
Part of the Vancouver Park Board’s Artist Studio Residency program, this project the relationship between movement an music with Dayna Szyndrowski (percussive dance).
Selenotropic
Selenotropism is plant growth in response to moonlight. With Justin Devries on drums and Jeff Gammon on bass, this music explores how to integrate the harp as the backbone of a band without it being the ‘elephant in the room’.