Tessa Jackson, age 12, is already a poised and polished performer. She tied with Grace Hong (Pacific Region) for 4th place in the Junior Division of the 23rd American Harp Society National Competition which was held at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Winston-Salem, NC, June 16-19, 2019. Tessa, who is a student of Bette Roth, played Solfeggietto by CPE Bach, The Minstrel’s Adieu to his Native Land by Thomas and Automne by Grandjany. When asked how she deals with nerves when performing, Tessa explained that she just focuses on the music. However, a new experience for her was having the judges for her age group behind a curtain at the competition.
Tessa isn’t new to performance or competition. In 2018 Tessa was a Young Artist’s Harp Seminar (YAHS) Finalist in the Preparatory Division (age 11 and under). She is currently the Principal Harpist with the Preparatory Orchestra of the Youth Orchestras of Charlotte. Last year she performed the Vivaldi Concerto in D major with Daniel Reeder, also a harpist with the orchestra.
At the age of 3½ Tessa began harp lessons with Bette Roth. Then at age 5 she performed in one of the Charlotte Chapter of the American Harp Society’s concerts at Imaginon. She was so small that she sat on phone books on the harp bench and had phone books under her feet. A photographer snapped a photo of her which appeared in the paper with the caption, “A better use of phone books.”
Tessa is surrounded by music in her home. Her mother plays French horn, violin and piano. Tessa is the 5th of 7 children. There are many opportunities for chamber music with her siblings: Cass plays cello & piano, Martha Grace plays violin & piano, Liam plays viola & piano, John plays piano, Tessa plays piano in addition to harp, Matthew and Gettys both play piano. The siblings can often be found playing music at church, in the nursing home once a month and at area schools. Tessa gave a concert and demonstration for the students at Myers Park Traditional School and answered questions from the students who were excited to learn new vocabulary and the sounds of glissando and arpeggio.
In addition to music, Tessa loves cats and enjoys studying Latin. Her favorite books are The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter books. When asked about dreams for the future, Tessa shared that she might like to be a librarian, an inventor or an engineer. When asked if there is anything else she would like to share, Tessa stated, “I want to thank Miss Bette for teaching me everything and for having lots of patience!”
Tessa isn’t new to performance or competition. In 2018 Tessa was a Young Artist’s Harp Seminar (YAHS) Finalist in the Preparatory Division (age 11 and under). She is currently the Principal Harpist with the Preparatory Orchestra of the Youth Orchestras of Charlotte. Last year she performed the Vivaldi Concerto in D major with Daniel Reeder, also a harpist with the orchestra.
At the age of 3½ Tessa began harp lessons with Bette Roth. Then at age 5 she performed in one of the Charlotte Chapter of the American Harp Society’s concerts at Imaginon. She was so small that she sat on phone books on the harp bench and had phone books under her feet. A photographer snapped a photo of her which appeared in the paper with the caption, “A better use of phone books.”
Tessa is surrounded by music in her home. Her mother plays French horn, violin and piano. Tessa is the 5th of 7 children. There are many opportunities for chamber music with her siblings: Cass plays cello & piano, Martha Grace plays violin & piano, Liam plays viola & piano, John plays piano, Tessa plays piano in addition to harp, Matthew and Gettys both play piano. The siblings can often be found playing music at church, in the nursing home once a month and at area schools. Tessa gave a concert and demonstration for the students at Myers Park Traditional School and answered questions from the students who were excited to learn new vocabulary and the sounds of glissando and arpeggio.
In addition to music, Tessa loves cats and enjoys studying Latin. Her favorite books are The Lord of the Rings and the Harry Potter books. When asked about dreams for the future, Tessa shared that she might like to be a librarian, an inventor or an engineer. When asked if there is anything else she would like to share, Tessa stated, “I want to thank Miss Bette for teaching me everything and for having lots of patience!”