Miriam Overlach (1980) is an unconventional harpist rooted in the classical tradition but specialised in contemporary music and the development of the newest musical ideas. She loves to work together with composers, has her own ensemble for music from the early 20th century, works regularly with ensembles and orchestras like Ensemble Modern and the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and enjoys improvising, performing, creating music theatre and experimenting with new concert formats.
Miriam has won several solo competitions such as the Vriendenkrans Competition in 2007 (a competition for young soloists organized by the ‘Friends of the Concertgebouw Orchestra’) and the Dutch Harp Competition 2007. She was a laureate of the ‘Deutscher Musikwettbewerb 2008’ and attained first prizes at the ‘Grachtenfestival Conservatorium Competition 2006’ and the ‘International Harp Competition Martine Géliot 2002’. Since then Miriam has provided solo and chamber music recitals in the Netherlands and Germany, the latter within the context of a tour organized by the ‘Deutscher Musikwettbewerb’. Performance venues include the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the NDR in Hannover, the Musikverein Bamberg (broadcasted live via the Bayrischer Rundfunk), festival Musikalischer Sommer in Ostfriesland and festival Peter de Grote.
Miriam is co-founder of Ensemble Lumaka, Ensemble with harp, flute and strings for music of the 1920ies. The Ensemble was awarded several prizes, as the International Chambermusic Competition in Almere and the prize of ‘Het Debuut’, best young Dutch ensemble of 2009.
She regularly works as a substitute for the the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra (the Dutch opera orchestra) and ensembles for contemporary music such as Ensemble Modern Frankfurt and oh ton-ensemble.
Miriam graduated cum laude from the Amsterdam Conservatory where she studied with Prof. Erika Waardenburg. She has participated in masterclasses with Frans van Ruth, Maria Graf and Frédérique Cambreling and participated in the 2007/2008 Luzern Festival Academy under the direction of Peter Eötvös and Pierre Boulez.
Website: miriamoverlach.com
Subject: Harp, Repertoire en literature study harp