Faculty

Maxine Eilander plays on a range of Baroque and classical harps. She has most recently started working on a project of harp and violin music by little known female composers of the Classical and Romantic periods with violinist Tekla Cunningham.

Born in The Netherlands, Maxine grew up in South Africa, where she earned her Bachelor of Music on the classical harp. Her special interest in early music led her to further study at the Hochschule für Kunste in Bremen, Germany, where she completed her post-graduate diploma in early harps and continuo (accompaniment) practice. She has appeared as a soloist with many leading ensembles including Tragicomedia and Tafelmusik, and regularly appears in the opera and chamber opera productions of the Boston Early Music Festival as well as being the harpist for Seattle’s Pacific MusicWorks. Maxine has performed at numerous opera houses and festivals including the Covent Garden Festival, Staatstheater Stuttgart and Netherlands Opera, playing continuo in productions of various baroque operas and chamber music. In 2012 Maxine was invited to perform Handel’s Harp Concerto at the World Harp Congress in Vancouver. 

Recordings featuring Maxine as a soloist include Handel’s Harp, released on ATMA, with all of Handel’s obligato music written for the harp, including his famous harp concerto, which she has also recorded with Tafelmusik (A Baroque Feast, Analekta). 

Maxine is an adjunct instructor of historical harps at the USC Thornton School of Music. 

She also teaches in her home studio in Santa Clarita, California, as well as online Zoom sessions. 

Together, with Stephen Stubbs, she has begun publishing music through Proteamusic.com. Planned are volumes of music for solo voice from different countries, starting with “Selected Songs of the 17^th Century, Volume 1: Italy,” available in December both in print and digital download, as well as pre-recorded accompaniments of the pieces.

Recordings:

Stylus Phantasticus (2019) Pacific MusicWorks, to be released in 2021
Handel’s Almira (2019) CPO, Boston Early Music Festival
Steffani’s Duets of Love and Passion (2017) CPO, Boston Early Music Festival
Steffani’s Niobe – Regina di Tebe (2015) Erato, Boston Early Music Festival
Handel’s Harp (2009) ATMA, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, directed by Stephen Stubbs
Song of Songs (2008) ATMA, Les Voix Baroques, Montreal
William Lawes’ Harp Consorts (2008) ATMA, Les Voix Baroques, Montreal
Conradi’s Ariadne (2005) CPO, Boston Early Music Festival, *Grammy Award nominee
Teatro Lirico (2006) ECM, with Stephen Stubbs, Milos Valent, Erin Headley
Sonata al Pizzico (2004) ATMA, ACD2 2272, Duo CD: Maxine Eilander, Stephen Stubbs.
Handel’s harp concerto with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, *Juno Award nominee
Hagar and Ishmael (2003) Centaur, CRC 2664, Seattle Baroque
The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book (2003) Centaur, CRC 2638, with Byron Schenkman
Vespro della Beata Vergine (2002) ATMA, ACD2 2304/05, with Tragicomedia
Ay que si (2002) ATMA, ACD2 2244
A Baroque Feast (2002) Analekta, AN2 9811

Publications:

2021

“Selected Songs Volume 2: England”

2020

“Symphony” from Handel’s Saul with Variation by Stephen Stubbs

“Variations on Handel’s Laschia ch’io pianga” by Stephen Stubbs for harp or piano

“Recueil de Romances” for voice and harp or piano by Zoè de la Rue

“Selected Songs of the 17th Century, Volume 1: Italy”