24/7 VALENCIA: TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AND MUSICAL EDUCATION…

EVE MATIN: I come from a Persian family but I grew up in Peru. Despite the fact that no one in my family is a musician, I was mysteriously attracted to the harp.

I started as a classical harpist and did most of the typical classical harpist jobs, playing in the symphony orchestra, opera, ballet, diverse ensembles and interpreting some contemporary music when I wanted to feel a bit more experimental.

However, I felt always very different from my other colleagues in classical music. I was always attracted to diverse music and felt more creative than interpretative…

So, after finishing my studies at the Conservatoire of Peru, I moved to Spain for a Masters degree in composition and modern music at Berklee College in Valencia.

24/7 Valencia: Can you explain the magic of the harp?

EVE MATIN: Once, a dear friend told me: “The Harp is the most beautiful instrument. If someone is blind they can enjoy the sound and if someone is deaf they can enjoy watching it”.

As much as the harp is seen as the “instrument of angels,” I fight to find new ways of playing the instrument and let people understand that it is more than an angelic, fairy-tale instrument. It can also create dark sounds, deep emotions, and even scary textures.

Fusion, creativity and experimenting with new techniques form a big part of the revolution in my harp playing.

24/7 Valencia: What is its history?

EVE MATIN: The harp might be one of the oldest instruments. Anyone can Google Harp history and will find antique relics even way before medieval instruments…

The interesting thing to know is how the instrument has been preserved and evolved, according to the place where it is exposed. So, there are thousands of traditional types of harp in the world.

This leads us to different types of music; even within the world of the classical harp (or pedal harp, orchestra harp, etc…) several styles are played such as jazz and all the possibilities of the electric harp.

24/7 Valencia: Could you tell us about your various musical projects?

EVE MATIN: Recently, I started getting involved in composition, improvisation and fusion. Since then, musical projects and compositions have not stopped flowing.

Whenever I meet new musicians and I see the potential of new musical horizons, I am excited to know how the harp will sound in new styles not heard before, merge and combine to create new textures and proposals within innovative and unique projects.

I want to continue expanding the performance capabilities of the harp, show the diversity of the instrument, the styles that can be interpreted and to continue creating unity through the fusion of styles and breaking barriers.

Interview by Will McCarthy

Article copyright ’24/7 Valencia’

More info: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-26KEK8bqGU3gI7Q2YxfjQ