Harmonia
Online Music Lessons
Composition, Music Theory, Ear Training, Music History, Film Scoring, Orchestration, Score Reading & Analysis, Informed Listening, Piano
Welcome to Harmonia.club
All Harmonia lessons are given online, powered by Zoom...
Gustav Klimt's painting "Musique" represents our Harmonia composition and performance studio
“Ah, Music. A magic far beyond all we do here!” — Albus Dumbledore
Harmonia
Harmonia, a composition and performance studio in North Carolina led by Julie Harris, has become a magnet for creativity and prize-winning compositions. Students of all ages gather to learn, to share, and to create a musical community.
Our composition students write for solo instruments, chamber groups, small ensembles, film scores and other genres, and consistently win awards at the state, regional, national and international level.
Our pianists enjoy both private piano parties and public concerts. They particularly enjoy duets and chamber music, and working with other great performers and composers.
All students get a thorough grounding in theory and music history, and participate in informed listening. Online games, a thriving specialized social network, frequent studio events, all make Harmonia a vibrant gathering place.
Best of all, Harmonia students develop a lifelong passion for music. We all have a great deal of fun while creating or performing the highest quality music! If you’d like to contact Harmonia for lessons, or to perform any of our pieces, you can reach me through email: JulieRHarris@aol.com
Julie Harris - Composer and Educator
I have taught some extremely creative and talented students over my decades of teaching classical composition, film scoring, theory, piano and many other aspects of music-making.
We've had so many exciting achievements in our musical journey, that I want to share some of these special moments with you!
Below you will see highlights of the past few decades - hope you enjoy this special musical journey.
Harmonia welcomes students of all ages
Julie with adult students Janese Frantz (bottom left) and Susie Kim Park (top center). Janese returned to piano after a thirty-plus-year hiatus spent raising a family and building a career as a nurse. Susie had always wanted to compose, but waited until retirement to begin lessons.
Janese quickly mastered a large repertoire of pieces she had always loved, and discovered new composers and new musical passions.
Susie's "Fugue for Three Friends" became one of the requested favorites at our community concerts, along with many of her other new works!
Gianni Rinaldo ("G") and Ursula Brown ("Ula") discuss Baby Einstein, music, and lollipops. Overheard conversation between G and Ula: "Are you taking piano lessons?" asks G. "Yes!" says Ula emphatically. "But not yet", she adds. Gianni, not quite 5, studies composition, plays piano, loves Beethoven and memorizes every symphony he hears. Ula, age 3, can sing a perfect rendition of "A, You're Adorable", every song from "Lady and the Tramp" and a host of other favorites. She has also started playing piano like her dad Ron, an adult Harmonia student.
Harmonia students are endlessly creative
Julie and Kevin Kopczynski posing with his composition "Variations on Littleroot Town", a classical piece inspired by one of his favorite video games.
Eight-year-old Gabe Crist playing drum on his "Native American Suite" written for drum, two violins, flute, viola, sleigh bells, two guitars and pipe organ. That's Gabe in the left-hand back corner with the two huge drum sticks.
Harmonia students win prestigious awards
Ten-year-old Michael Jon Bennett posing with the poster of winners at the MTNA National Convention! Michael won the MTNA Composition Competition National Finals in the Junior age group. His winning piece "Stained Glass and Birds" was written for violin and piano, and premiered at the National Convention.
As the crowning point of his high school composition studies with Julie Harris, Alex Moiseev won the prestigious Marvin Hamlisch International Music Award for his piece "Aquatic Colors". His piece was inspired by a short film called "Jonas and the Sea". Click on the player below to hear his winning piece:
Harmonia students write solo pieces, chamber music, art songs, string quartets and even symphonies!
Julie Harris conducts "Winter Forest" written by Harmonia student Charles Higgins, as Chapel Hill artist Cam Cline paints what she hears. After the concert, Cam presented Julie with the finished painting, which still hangs in the Harmonia studio to this day!
Harmonia students collaborate on exciting community projects
Ten plays … each ten minutes long … ten playwrights … ten actors … nine directors …
To this exciting mix, add nine young composers, ranging in age from 13 – 25 years old.
Pure magic – and a wonderful evening of entertainment!
Harmonia composition students collaborate with the 10 by 10 Play Festival, presented by Odyssey Stage
Summary for Harmonia Studio and Julie Harris
Education:
A.A. Music Theory and Composition, Brevard College, Brevard, NC
B.A. Music Theory and Composition/Math, Duke University, Durham NC
My post-graduate teachers / Lineage:
Dan Locklair: His teachers included Samuel Adler at Eastman, 1979 Pulitzer Prize winner Joseph Schwantner
Ken Frazzell: His teachers included Roger Sessions at Juilliard, Robert Ward at UNCSA
Robert Ward: 1962 winner of the Pulitzer Prize in Music
Specialties:
Composition
Music Theory
Ear Training
Music History
Film Scoring
Orchestration
Score reading and analysis
Informed listening
Piano
Contact me with questions, or to begin lessons:
JulieRHarris@aol.com
Lessons:
All lessons are taught online via Zoom
Composition students will be given a placement test in theory
Weekly or biweekly lessons
All lessons are one hour long
Advance composition students may opt for hour and a half lessons
Lessons are tailored to the individual needs and interests of each student
A warm, supportive, joyous environment for you or for your child!